The Peculiar Journal Of William Klaskovsky
by Akumokagetsu
Summary: (Sequel to Salv-8-Ion.) The journal of William Klaskovsky is a surprisingly disturbing one.He was taken from his own world by the God of Chaos, he has found himself surrounded by talking equines, and his reputation as Ponyville's most dangerous ten year old is slowly growing. Not to mention that he must steadily spurn increasingly sexual advances. From his adoptive mother.
1. Ch1: Fear & Frosting

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_"Happy Birthday!"_

William Zachariah Klaskovsky's eternal deadpan didn't budge an inch as Pinkie Pie's party popper blasted out a slew of brightly colored streamers, many of which hanged off his head long afterwards like a ludicrous wig.

It had barely been twelve days since his first arrival in Ponyville, and already William was known by half the town. Thankfully, half the town had not actually shown up for the pale young boy's birthday party; only his new adoptive mother Rainbow Dash and her friends had arrived, and William wasn't too picky. Despite his slightly sour expression, he really was excited to have so many guests celebrating his birthday; living at Saint Claire's orphanage had guaranteed that he was about the only one to remember it, anyway.

The only thing that would have made it better is if the guests were remotely _human_.

The vibrant pink party pony bounced excitedly, practically jumping from hoof to hoof as the six waited around the table.

"Well?" Pinkie Pie asked breathlessly. "Aren't you going to blow out your candles and make a wish?"

William took a moment to look around at the six mares that had gathered for his party, plus the miniature violet drake. Pegasi, unicorns, mares (somewhat ironically dubbed, William had pondered) Earth ponies all gathered around him, smiling warmly and being pleasant.

It still caught him off guard, every time he looked at one of them. It was simply too bizarre, seeing a talking pony. Even more bizarre having one for an adoptive mother.

Of course, absolutely nothing in the world could potentially top the level of oddity that was William's adoptive father, Discord. The draconequus was literally an embodiment of chaos, mayhem incarnate. It was going to take a lot more than a couple of weeks for that to truly sink in.

After a long minute of William realizing that he hadn't actually said anything, he bowed his head pensively, took a deep breath, and blew out all ten candles.

Pinkie clapped her hooves excitedly, her shriek sounding like an air raid siren over the jaunty voices of the others as the cake was carefully cut.

"_Wheeee_! What did you wish for, huh, huh, huh?" she stuck her face far too close to William's, causing him to flinch.

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack rolled her eyes, her distinctive drawl rolling with ease through the air. The orange cowpony bumped her trademark Stetson hat a little higher, giving the overexcited mare a level look. "Ya' can't go asking somepony a question like that, or it won't come true."

"It's fine," William nodded quietly. "Wishing for things is ridiculous."

Pinkie gasped, gawking at the young boy. She grappled his shoulders, staring at him in abject horror.

"How can you _say _something like that? Wishes are _awesome_! Tell 'im, Dashie!" she pleaded, giving the pegasus her best puppy dog impression. Rainbow Dash only sighed lightly, but a small smile still tugged at her lips.

"You might be surprised," Rainbow Dash tittered finally, placing a wingtip carefully onto William's shoulder. "Wishes come true, sometimes."

"Belay that," he argued promptly, actually leaving his constant deadpan expression in favor of furrowing his thin brows. "The premise alone is illogical, and highly inconclusive in aspects of results."

"Settle down, settle down," Twilight Sparkle chuckled. "No sense burrowing into a debate at the moment; you haven't even tried the birthday cake yet."

William's eternal deadpan returned as he turned his gaze toward the purple unicorn, who levitated a single plate containing the chocolate confectionary toward him.

He swore, these ponies were utterly obsessed with sweets.

But mostly the pink one.

_Especially _the pink one.

There was just something about Pinkie Pie that made him a tad uneasy; as if her every remark toward him was forced. He shrugged it off for the moment; he had other things on his mind.

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**Diary of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 13 –_

I wonder if I shall ever arrive at the point where looking at these creatures does not induce a minimal sliver of fear.

I know that I have covered the topic at least four times presently, but I find that I dwell on it again and again. Their eyes are simply the wrong size for their bodies; so wide, so expressive. I still find it relatively unsettling, their close proximity to humanity whilst still being so alien.

Carrying on.

Miss Dash has informed me that today I shall begin public schooling.

Believe it or not, I actually find this a much more terrifying prospect than having one of the things invading my personal space. Admittedly, I have never actually been to a school; I do not particularly care for the company of others, for that matter. Human or equine.

No one (I suppose that I shall be expected to adapt the common term 'anypony' eventually, although I am loathe to admit it) has seen hide nor hair of my adoptive father, and it is rather easy to see why. After all, if a God of Chaos does not wish to be found, then found he shall not be.

I actually had to pause momentarily to glance back at that last sentence.

There was a point when I didn't believe in such things. No irresponsible mad gods with hectic schedules, no talking ponies taking me into their home as one of their own. No weather patrols, no stationary land where the sun and moon move around it (I still find myself boggled by that conundrum) and certainly none of this 'friendship' nonsense.

And yet, here I am, preparing for my first day of school in an outlandish and foreign world.

I am called, and shall return with observations upon the day's activities, as per usual.

However, I cannot help but find myself wondering if perhaps Miss Pie did indeed have a point.

After all, I spent the longest time silently wishing to be adopted.

Beggars and choosers, and other such idioms.

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"Come on, Will, you don't want to be late for your first day of school, do you?" Rainbow Dash called down the hallway, eliciting a swift clap as a book was closed. She shook her head slowly, a small smile on her lips. The kid was a complete egghead.

"I shall be along presently, Miss Dash," William's lilting voice answered her, and moments later he stood breathlessly by her side, modified saddlebag thrown onto his back.

She nodded quietly, leading him from the small ground level house that so much work had gone into. It had taken a lot of her saved up bits, but thanks to the help of her friends (and even some volunteers from the Apple family) the two bedroom building was finally livable. It was surprisingly cozy, for a house on the ground. Rainbow Dash supposed that Fluttershy might have been right on the entire appeal of such things, even if it did feel a little cramped at times.

They walked side by side in silence for a while, the crisp morning air at their backs as they trotted (and jogged).

It didn't take long to arrive at the crimson (and a bit stereotyped, William noted) schoolhouse, the bell for class already ringing.

"Go on ahead," Rainbow Dash pulled him into a tight hug and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. "Have fun at school. 'Kay?"

"A fun school is an oxymoron, Miss Dash," William frowned, the distaste evident in his voice. "Nevertheless, I shall faithfully attempt to follow your instructions."

"_Wordy _little squirt," she snorted, pushing him forward with her wingtip. "And you can call me 'Mom' any day now, you know that?"

"Yes, Miss Dash," William nodded tonelessly, walking briskly toward what he was certain was going to be a terrible experience.

Not especially optimistic, that one.

William could hear the surprisingly melodic tone of what he assumed was the schoolteacher as he quietly pushed the door open, slipping inside and out of the bright sunlight.

"-and here he is now!" Miss Cheerilee trotted toward him, ushering the nervous child toward the gawking class. "Everypony say hello to your new classmate, Mister Klack- Klavsovick-Kalicksov-"

William bit back a retort, the small sigh of discontent leaving his chest.

"_Klaskovsky_," he helped her expressionlessly. "William Klaskovsky."

"Ooh, such an _exotic _name!" the purple earth pony that William supposed was the 'Miss Cheerilee' that he had been informed of spoke excitedly, leading him to the only spare desk on the far side of the room. Multiple sets of heads followed him silently as he sat, trying to make himself comfortable in the awkwardly shaped seats.

"I'm sure you'll be an _excellent _addition to the class, William!" Miss Cheerilee's large smile seemed to shine with a light all on its own, and she returned to her day planner posthaste. No sooner had she turned her back that William heard a voice that he would soon learn to dread.

"What's wrong with his _face_?"

William recognized Apple Bloom easily; he had seen her multiple times with her elder sister, the venerable Applejack. Even Sweetie Belle was easily recognized, and for the same reason. The two of them sat on each side of a small bright orange pegasus that he had personally never seen, but the trio evidently shared something in common, as they all simultaneously exhaled through their teeth at the sound of the filly speaking.

"Shut yer face, Diamond Tiara," Apple Bloom said flatly.

"Apple Bloom – and you _too_, Diamond Tiara!" Cheerilee spluttered, equally flustered at Diamond Tiara's rude reaction toward the new student, although temporarily unsure of whom she should address first. William remained silent, strumming his fingers across his pack.

Every place seemed to have one or two, it would seem.

Saint Claire's had their own, and he was unsurprised completely. Or, mostly, rather.

To be honest, he actually had a smidgen of hope for a quiet day for a moment.

"What?" the purple-pink filly snorted defensively. "It's not _my _fault he's an ugly colt."

"So what's your excuse?" Sweetie Belle quipped, eliciting a bark from the teacher.

"_All _of you!" she frowned, obviously displeased. "Apologize, right this instant!"

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara all swiveled at the same time toward the new resident human, mumbling 'sorry'.

"Not you two – I just –" Miss Cheerilee pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a breath. "Right. Lesson for the day. Let's begin with history; class, turn your books to page forty-three, and we'll begin on the treaty of Neighpon…"

0-0-0-0-0

William chewed his apple slice pensively, sitting beside the tree with an open book in his lap as the fillies ran rampant across the playground.

It felt so similar to being back at the orphanage that, for a moment, he found a genuine level of solace in the familiarity as he lost himself in history text, vaguely reminiscing on the surprisingly sharp taste of the apple.

Then again, switching directly to an entirely vegetarian diet certainly wouldn't do anything good for his gastrointestinal system.

"Hey there, 'ugly'!"

William snapped his book shut, finishing off his lunch as the uneven voice of Sweetie Belle drew nearer. Despite the affront, she and the two others trailing with her wore smiles on their faces, and they stopped beside him to make themselves comfortable.

"Oh, uh…" the pegasus awkwardly rubbed her foreleg, staring at him. "Hi. Guess we haven't, er.. met yet. I'm Scootaloo!" she jammed her hoof directly at him, and William resisted the urge to lurch backwards to avoid being accidentally punched in the head.

"Good day," he took her furred hoof in his small hand, giving it a polite shake. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Scootaloo."

The pegasus blushed lightly, drawing away as Apple Bloom snickered.

"Need a hankie? Looks like ya' got a little _crush _on your face there, Scoots," the earth pony teased, causing the orange pegasus to stutter and ruffle her wings uncomfortably.

"That's not – I don't – just because – _mother f-"_

"Oh, come on, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle tipped her slightly, poking her with one hoof and fighting back a giggle of her own. "You're getting to be as bad as Diamond Tiara."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both gasped overdramatically, gaping at their friend in horror.

"Oh!" Apple Bloom swooned, clutching at her heart. "Y'all wound me. What terrible things a filly faces here, Will. Give 'er a kick for me, wouldja?" she grinned up at him from the ground.

"And now you sound like Sweetie's sister," Scootaloo chuckled. "Maybe you'll get a Cutie Mark for _impersonations_."

It took William a moment of watching the odd trio to realize precisely what was going on.

They were laughing, joking.

They were trying to make up for the awkwardness of the previous situation by attempting to make him feel like part of the group.

For some reason, this realization angered William a little, although even he wasn't quite certain why. He brushed off the odd frustration, realizing that he had been staring silently at them all.

"Sure don't talk real much, do you?" Scootaloo pried, tilting her head a little.

"No," William's short response provided.

"How come?" Apple Bloom asked, righting herself and realigning the brightly colored bow atop her head.

William merely shrugged.

"He's probably just a little shy," Sweetie Belle nodded sagely. "Huh, Will?"

"My name is William," he crossed his arms immediately. "Not 'Will', not 'Billy', not 'Bill'. And certainly not 'ugly'. My – name – is –_William_."

"_Yeesh_," Sweetie held up her forehooves in defense, eyes widening. "Sorry for trying to be friendly."

"Aw, come on," Apple Bloom said cheerfully, insistent upon saving the situation. "We don't mean no harm, honest. Wanna be friends?"

William stared at the grinning pony for nearly half a minute, silent. Eventually, however, he shrugged once again.

"Fine, why not."

"See?" Apple Bloom nudged an uncomfortable Scootaloo. "Was that _really _so hard?"

"Not as hard as your _head_," the all too familiar tone of Diamond Tiara sang through the air, followed closely by a small deep grey earth pony.

To his surprise, William actually had to consciously withhold the same kind of exasperated groan that the other three willingly emitted.

Again with the dreadful Diamond Tiara character; and this time, she appeared to have a single crony in tow, which actually began drawing the attention of a few of the playing fillies and colts.

William unconsciously clasped his book closer, as if it were an effective security blanket.

"Well, well, well," Diamond Tiara laughed coldly, followed up by the grey filly. "Wouldn't you know it, the ugly ones stick together."

_Marvelous. Stereotypical schoolhouse comes with a stereotypical bully. Quite the prepackaged deal._

"Watch your mouth, Tiara," Apple Bloom glowered at her, reinforcing her stand. "You just might find it on th'other side of your _head _if'n you keep it up."

"Ugh, can you believe how _crass _and _uncultured _some ponies can be, Silver Spoon?" Diamond Tiara stuck her nose up in the air.

"Ugh, yeah, totally," her friend agreed with her promptly, mimicking her action.

"So maybe if you weren't so crass and uncultured," Scootaloo scowled. "It might be easier to believe."

"Ooh," Tiara snickered. "Now the chicken thinks that it's better than us, Silver!"

Scootaloo's face flushed, and her wings flared angrily.

William was quickly growing tired of the banter, almost as quickly as ponies had begun gathering to gawk at the conversation.

And at that point, an unexpectedly cruel idea began worming its way into William's head; one that, for the present dilemma, he carefully weighed over the logical upsides to simply ignoring the filly for as long as humanly possible.

"What's the matter?" Tiara taunted. "Cat got your tongue? Or are you still just too busy drooling over that scrawny, hairless little –"

Diamond Tiara almost hadn't noticed William standing silently, leaving his book lying closed in the grass as he approached her.

"Oh, what _now_?" she sneered. "You want a _fight _on your hooves? You think that just because you've got some –"

William silently cupped the surprised pony's head in his small hands, tilted her face upward to meet his own…

And kissed her directly on the lips.

Pulling quietly away, William patted her on the head and said "For such a _pretty _pony, you're an awfully _angry _one."

The exchange left the majority of them completely dumbstruck, with the exception of Diamond Tiara. The violently blushing mare sputtered and spluttered, desperately straining to save face.

"Whassa' matter, Diamond?" Apple Bloom finally dredged up the courage to speak, even though her voice sounded a little off in her ears from the disturbing sight. "Cat got yer tongue?"

The filly squealed viciously before traipsing away as quickly as her legs would take her, her cheeks so bright that they could have glowed in the dark. Silver Spoon followed close behind, unsurprisingly. Satisfied that she would no longer bother them, William wordlessly returned to his place against the tree, licking his finger and thumbing through the history book to find his previous spot as if absolutely nothing had occurred.

"Did that _seriously _just happen?" Scootaloo asked, completely dumbfounded.

"The child is an antagonistic, egocentric and insufferable braggart," William stated plainly without looking up. "Thoroughly humiliated before her classmates, I doubt that she shall dare attempt a direct confrontation again presently, as I have thus solved your dilemma."

After a few almost silent moments, he added "You're welcome."

"Say…" Apple Bloom proffered. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in joining the Cutie Mark Crusaders, _would _ya?"

At first, William considered politely declining, if only for the sake of finally returning to his reading. It had taken him over a week to decipher their odd written language, even with the help of Twilight Sparkle, and he didn't want to allow himself to accidentally lapse. Eventually, however, he shrugged for the umpteenth time that day.

"I don't see why not."

Apple Bloom was positively _beaming_.

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**Author's Note:**

Because this couldn't possibly come back to bite him later.


	2. Ch2: Hell & High Water

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"How did your first big day at school go, Squirt?" Rainbow Dash cheerfully threw a wing over William's shoulder, giving him a tight little hug.

"My name is William," he insisted, thinking heavily. "And all went accordingly. Very bland," he lied, nodding quietly as he kept up pace next to his adoptive mother.

"What, was it _really _that boring?" Dash asked with a small grin as they continued down the road, the sun beating down on them.

"I could imagine nothing more positively droll and dreary, Miss Dash. I cannot wait to return."

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Gotta admit, Squirt, I can't really tell if that was sarcasm or not."

The odd pair walked quietly beside each other, Rainbow Dash curiously drilling him with questions about his first day. It felt like no time at all had passed before they finally returned home, a pleasant breeze guiding them along the way as colts and fillies screaming with delight either with their parents or by themselves meandered about, free at last from the tyranny of the stuffy classroom. The first few grey clouds of an oncoming rain gathered at the horizon, but lulled back peacefully.

Rainbow Dash was quietly glad to have him by her side again; somewhere she could watch him. She honestly didn't think that she would have gotten quite so used to the small boy's company in such a short time, but if she had to choose between going back to being alone or keeping him…

Well, she wouldn't go back to being alone.

If it meant that she could keep William, Rainbow Dash would go through hell and high water to do it.

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 14 –_

Ah, where to begin.

I am sincerely thankful for these written notes of mine; they give me an honest opportunity to recollect my thoughts, ponder and allow reminiscence over my day. However, there are times when I do wonder whether or not this may be a healthy habit I have developed, as it appears to lead to a larger amount of time brooding.

Hmm. Something to consider, I suppose.

But I digress.

As I have begun to routinely cover my previous day's experiences in the morning, I believe that I shall continue this daily ritual in preparation of the day to come. Or not; I can be rather fickle.

After schooling the day before, Miss Dash and I had an excellent picnic southwest of Ponyville. Afterwards, per my request, she gladly explained the finer details of weather manipulation and gave a small demonstration, wresting a cloud – a cloud – from its place and displaying it to me. I must admit, I was rather fascinated by the show; that only brings me to another point, which I have yet to properly analyze.

Magic is a curious thing.

I long to study it, to observe and dissect it to the core; so much so that it has recently been keeping me from sleeping.

I have asked Miss Sparkle about the subject numerous times during our weekly Saturday astronomy lessons, but she has thus insisted that familiarizing myself with the 'new' solar system is of higher importance. Bah.

Again, I digress.

Hardly two weeks have gone by, and already I find that I have begun making enemies.

Evidently, I am clearly not as intelligent as I previously gave myself credit for; otherwise, I could potentially have avoided said confrontation altogether. This 'Diamond Tiara' and her hench… pony.

I must allow myself a moment. That is still a highly unfamiliar term.

Diamond Tiara and her henchpony 'Silver Spoon' have doubtlessly sworn me their mortal enemy by this point; regardless, it is clear that this latest cult I have been suckered into is dead set against them. I shall follow the old saying to the best of my ability. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that.

Actually, I would like to rectify my previous statement.

The enemy of my enemy is also my enemy, and I should thusly be doubly prepared.

These 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' reek of trouble, and I want nothing to do with them.

However, should the brat and her subservient minion return with a vengeance, the 'Crusaders' shall provide as either excellent allies or ample cannon fodder; I care not either way.

I do feel a smidgen of remorse for that airheaded buffoon that the spoiled one drags everywhere with her, though. What a terrible life one must lead, to find succor in docile behavior.

Nevertheless, she has sided with Tiara, and should either of them cross me, they shall discover precisely why William Zachariah Klaskovsky _has _no enemies.

Submission is for the _weak_.

0-0-0-0-0

"You comin', or what?"

William exhaled through his nostrils heavily, staring upward at the small, one room treehouse in mild disgust. It was clearly a highly unsafe structure, perched precariously around the trunk of the sprawling apple tree. Apple Bloom held the front door open for him, into which was carved a hole in the shape of a heart, similar to the wooden window shutters.

He gazed upon the building with evident disdain, and unenthusiastically trudged up the winding planks at the filly's request. The short wooden door snapped shut behind him, and William was a little surprised to discover the inside of the clubhouse exceptionally well lit due to the spacing of the glass paned windows.

"Er-hem," Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, beaming at him as they presented a small red cape with their blue-patched Cutie Mark Crusader symbol on the side, identical to the ones they currently wore. She unrolled a long sheet of parchment, and began reciting.

"William 'Rainbow Dash's adopted colt' Klaskovsky," the unicorn spoke squeakily, and he resisted the urge to rub his ears. "Do you so solemnly swear –"

"Yes," he raised his right hand immediately. Anything to make that screechy voice stop.

Sweetie Belle gave him a level look, but Scootaloo cackled.

"_Screw _the formalities!" the pegasus said excitedly, tossing the cape over his shoulders and grinning widely at him. "Welcome to the _Cee Em Cee!"_

"That stands for Cutie Mark Crusaders," Apple Bloom added helpfully, just in case it wasn't already painfully obvious.

"Yes, thank you, Apple Bloom," William replied dryly. "I would be so lost without you."

"… I can't tell, was that _sarcasm_?" she tilted her head at him, eliciting another burst of air through his nostrils.

"_Forget _that!" Scootaloo said excitedly, straining for his attention. "You gotta tell me; what's it like being with _the _Rainbow Dash all the time?"

William blinked, backing away from the overexcited orange pegasus slightly.

"Firstly, _personal space_," he held up a single finger. "Secondly… well, actually, I was not under the impression that Miss Dash was anyone of particular importance."

Scootaloo gawked at him, walking a couple of circles around him before sitting down. "Seriously?" she asked in disbelief. "How can you _not _know?"

"Not know what?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Y'all ain't never heard o' the Elements of Harmony?" Apple Bloom stared at him as if he'd suddenly turned a different color.

"I apologize, Miss Bloom," William stated testily. "But if your accent were to grow any thicker you would lose the capacity for speech as your voice would likely break your tongue."

It was silent in the clubhouse for nearly a full ten seconds, before Sweetie Belle slowly turned toward an antsy Scootaloo.

"Screw the formalities, huh?"

"What?" William blinked, honestly confused. "What did I say?"

It was silent in the clubhouse for nearly a full ten seconds, before Scootaloo began attempting to hide her snickering behind one hoof.

"Anyway," Sweetie Belle shook her head, determined not to lose the first new member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders so soon. "We'd like to officially welcome you to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Will!"

"William."

"Whatever!"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes at the unicorn, showing William a long list of scribbles and crossed out items.

"The main objective for the Cutie Mark Crusaders," she explained to him as she passed him the list "is ta' figure out what our Cutie Marks are going to be."

"That's more like a side-thingy than anything else," Scootaloo added. "More just a reason to hang out and chill."

"I… see," William pored over the list, eyes lingering especially longer on the 'expert pigeon pokers' and 'supreme bowling champions' parts. "And you want me here because…?"

Scootaloo slapped him on the back, causing him to jump.

"Because you're our new friend! _Duh_," she chortled. "Plus, maybe you can get your Cutie Mark While you're at it as well!" Scootaloo eyed his thigh, as if he might be hiding a Cutie Mark beneath his pressed pants.

"Wait," he said suddenly, a thought occurring to him. "Those brandings on you creature's thighs are _natural_?"

"Well, of course!" Sweetie Belle nodded, taking a look at the long list for herself. "Don't humans get Cutie Marks, too?"

The way the unicorn pronounced 'human' was slightly off, as if she were unaccustomed to the word. In hindsight, William thought vaguely, they likely all were.

He shook his head slowly, a little unnerved by the odd stare she was giving him.

"No," William informed her. "Humans do not obtain 'Cutie Marks'. I was under the impression that ponies had a frequent tendency of branding themselves, perhaps with dyes or inks as a form of social recognition."

Sweetie Belle snorted at the ridiculousness of the comment, and William felt a heat rising in his cheeks as she bit back her laughter. He hated it when others laughed at him.

"Not even little ones?" Scootaloo pried, tilting her head as her wings ruffled.

"No," William shook his head again. "The main method by which humans obtain any form of physical branding is either with numerous piercings or inking tattoos onto their flesh beneath the skin with needles."

The resounding '_Ew_,' almost made him grin.

Almost.

"Gotta admit," Apple Bloom stuck out her tongue. "That's kinda gross."

William stared at her, astounded.

"Gross?" he asked. "_Gross_? Do you have any idea what restrooms look like here?"

"I do!" Scootaloo stuck her hoof in the air.

"Rhetorical question," William frowned. "And more importantly, one would assume that you all have been informed of basic hygiene due to the bars of soap I found in the bathrooms, yes?"

The silence in the clubhouse was thick and heavy.

William let out a short burst of frustrated breath, and said "That one was _not _rhetorical."

"Yes," Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes at the young boy. "We _know _how basic hygiene works. We're not _animals_."

He once again had to bite back a retort.

"Regardless," he said flippantly, sitting cross legged on the floor to make himself more comfortable. "One is expected to wash their hooves before leaving the bathroom."

They nodded simultaneously.

"The same hooves that you _walk _on."

They nodded simultaneously.

"That you _just _washed."

They nodded simultaneously.

"But _humans _are gross?"

"I fail to see the connection," Scootaloo carefully inspected the bottom of her hoof, as if it had suddenly become more interesting. William was rather disappointed as the first few sprinkles of rain unexpectedly began to fall, meaning that his Saturday astronomy lesson with Twilight Sparkle would be canceled.

Apple Bloom pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ah get what he's sayin'." she nodded.

"I'm stunned," William stated drolly.

"… I can't tell, was that sarcasm?"

0-0-0-0-0

"What do you _mean_, 'sexual harassment'?!" Rainbow Dash asked, flabbergasted. She crumpled the letter in one hoof, and Cheerilee cringed behind her desk slightly.

"I know, Rainbow Dash, I know," Cheerilee sighed defensively. "This is just protocol, really."

"_Protocol_?" the blustered pegasus dared believe her ears, and Cheerilee was a little put off by the odd look that had begun to grow in Rainbow Dash's eyes.

"I know," Cheerilee said uncomfortably, sitting behind her desk as Rainbow Dash tugged at the letter from the school in her hooves. "Really, I'm just as surprised as you are."

Dash took a long, quiet and deep breath, exhaling slowly and sitting down in the wooden chair opposite of Cheerilee. She closed her eyes and continued her deep breathing routine, thoughts heavy. Thankfully, the cool air of the schoolhouse offered some protection from the bright sun despite the gathering rain clouds and heat outside, but it had suddenly grown oddly stuffy and felt cramped within.

"I want an _explanation_," she said immediately through clenched teeth, amber eyes snapping open.

"From what I can gather," Cheerilee said awkwardly "there was some form of confrontation between Diamond Tiara and William, and for some reason he wound up kissing the little b-darling," she coughed into her hoof.

_"How?"_

"Well, actually," Cheerilee said conversationally, not noticing the blossoming dark look in Dash's eyes. "Diamond Tiara told her father that young William had been completely unprovoked and assaulted her for no reason; you know Tiara, always making mountains of molehills. She went straight to Filthy Rich, demanding that he _personally _corporally punish the colt, but instead he threatened to sue the school, of all things, if the situation were not – Rainbow Dash, are you feeling well?"

Cheerilee had previously been ignorant of the unexpectedly grim look on the pegasus's face, and her teeth clacked quietly together in her mouth as she ran her hooves up and down the arms of the wooden chair. The entire time, Rainbow Dash's rosy eyes never left her, and her heavy breathing through her nostrils belied a quiet, boiling rage that Cheerilee had rarely seen except in diagrams of volcanoes; like she were nearly ready to explode from the pent up anger.

It was also a classic sign that many of her students had exhibited on more than one occasion, and Cheerilee was a teacher for a reason; she wasn't just trained for these kinds of situations. She was a natural.

"There really shouldn't be too much trouble," Cheerilee attempted to diffuse Rainbow Dash's temper. "I've thoroughly convinced Mister Rich that suing the school won't get anypony anywhere; and that I would speak to you personally about tending to William. Perhaps Monday we should get the two of these to stay after school and work out their problems _healthily_," Cheerilee suggested. However, Rainbow Dash had stopped listening long ago.

"Yeah," she croaked. "Yeah. Yeah, that's great. Listen, I've got to fly –"

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear, no trouble," Cheerilee shook Rainbow Dash's hoof with a smile, still a little perturbed by her unusual expression. "I understand that ponies have lives to see to."

"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow Dash's voice sounded distant, hollow; like she weren't really focusing. "Whatever's good. I'm going to… tend to William."

She was already halfway out the door by the time she finished, and Cheerilee let out a long, drawn out sigh as she was left to her paperwork.

Rainbow Dash, however, was already in the air; and with gratitude she sprang into the sky naturally from years and years of training and practice, because her mind certainly wasn't on it.

It seemed like such a ludicrous idea at first; after all, it was the same one that had first occurred to her what felt like months ago, but was really only a few weeks. Perhaps Discord had been mistaken, maybe he had been wrong. He had his eyes, after all.

Those cold, merciless eyes.

It might have appeared a little unlikely, but the more she dwelled on it, the more deeply the seed of doubt took root – and in that murky soil of her mind was uprooted a great many other foul things. Old, dark things that were better left buried.

Discord had made her promise, long before. And whatever Rainbow Dash might have gone through or would face in the future, she kept her promises.

Hold the child as close to her heart as she could…

And utterly destroy the last remnants of Master.

Miss Cheerilee wanted her to tend to William, did she?

Oh, she was going to tend to William, all right.

Yes. She would tend to her William.

Even if she had to go through hell and high water to do it.

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

Since so many people have decided to ask me personally...

Yes, I deliberately wrote William to be a bit of a smug, arrogant ass.


	3. Ch3: Out, Damn'd Pony!

0-0-0-0-0

William trudged through the drizzle miserably, arms clutched tightly to his side.

The misty rain fell lightly over him, cold enough to give him a chill. He shivered and pulled his wet clothes tighter around himself, bitterly cursing his lack of foresight for not thinking of an umbrella. Such a thing was unheard of for William; he did not forget easily.

He sneezed quietly, stumbling toward his home.

William was glad that he had decided to leave the Cutie Mark Crusaders early, despite their protests. Had he remained behind, he likely would have been caught in the rain much longer. Scootaloo kindly offered to let him stay in their clubhouse with them until the rain blew over, but he was adamant; he had a schedule to keep, and had promised Rainbow Dash that he would return before long.

But mostly, he found Sweetie Belle's voice nigh intolerable.

And besides; with as much as he had heard about these 'Elements', he was surprised that nobody had mentioned them to him before. If anything, it only reinvigorated his desire to discover more about the innermost workings of magic.

William sneezed into the crook of his arm more forcefully, and wiped water from his face as he approached the quaint little house that had been constructed such a short time ago. He looked forward to pulling himself inside, making himself cozy and sitting down with a good book or two before filling his journal once again; however, something he heard made him stop at the doorstep.

"Because, Dashie – that's _insane_!"

William recognized the voice of Pinkie Pie rather easily through the rain; he didn't think that he had ever heard her quite so distressed, though. He pressed his ear carefully against the door, screwing up his eyes in concentration and cupping his ear to catch every word.

"No, you don't understand," he heard the unexpectedly quavering voice of his adoptive mother. "He's back, Pinkie. He's back…!"

"Dashie – _Dashie_, put that _down_! – Dashie, look at me. Look at me, baby. It's over – it's _over_, okay? I'm here. I'm _here _for you, Dashie. It's _okay_."

"No, Pinkie – you don't get it!" Dash's voice grew louder, more upset.

"I got better; _you _have to, too! You _promised_, Dashie! You promised me!"

"The _eyes_, I'm telling you, he's _back_!"

"Put that _down_! It's _over_, Dashie. They're _different_; you have to know that they're different… right?"

William slowly peeled away from the wooden door in confusion, the cold rain long forgotten.

What was over? If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that he heard the sound of…

_Crying._

William felt a sudden, unexpected twinge of worry for his adoptive mother's wellbeing coupled with a tingling sense of dread, and he slowly pushed the door and allowed it to swing silently open.

"Mother, are you well?"

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie froze, heads snapping toward him.

Tears were plainly streaming down Dash's muzzle, and as Pinkie Pie held her as they stood in the small kitchen, William noticed that her own eyes appeared nearly as wet as Rainbow Dash's.

"… Is everything alright?" William asked slowly, suddenly feeling highly uncomfortable.

"Fi-fine," Pinkie Pie cleared her throat suddenly, giving Rainbow Dash one last careful squeeze before furiously rubbing her face. She forced a large smile, beaming at William. It was a false, hollow thing; like looking upon a glass dove.

"Everything's fine," she laughed humorlessly, pulling Rainbow Dash into another hug. "Dashie and me were just-just going over the good ol' days. Right, Dashie?"

"Pinkie."

"Good times, I tell ya'. _Good _–"

"Get out, Pinkie Pie."

William internally cringed at the sight before him as Rainbow Dash quietly shed herself of the pink mare. In that moment, William had never thought that he had ever seen anyone, pony or otherwise, look so completely and utterly heartbroken.

Pinkie Pie ever so slowly slipped away, hurt eyes still locked on Dash as she did so; and when she did, William almost could have sworn that a disturbing physical change had suddenly overcome her. She paused for the longest time, conflicted.

"… Okay, Dashie. I-I'll go."

Pinkie Pie wordlessly slid over the floor toward the door like a phantom, her face pale and pained. Her expression only grew sadder as she approached the sopping wet boy, and she leaned in for a quick little hug before leaving.

"If you ever need anything – _anything _– at all, you know where to find your Auntie Pinkie Pie… okay?" she asked tonelessly.

William's first instinct was to sullenly inform her that she wasn't really his aunt, but by the tired, suffering expression on her face, William merely nodded.

Pinkie bit her tongue and did the same, the door latching almost noiselessly behind her as she vanished into the rain.

For a while, William simply stood silently in front of the door, dripping water onto the floor as he struggled to process what had just happened. He sneezed into the crook of his arm again, and shook his head.

"William," Rainbow Dash said quietly, her voice carrying through the air to him with an odd tint to it. Her face was emotionless as the walls themselves.

He almost jumped at the noise, and silently scolded himself for doing so.

"Yes, Miss Dash."

"… You're dripping water all over the floor, William," she said quietly after a few seconds, the hard tinge in her eyes replaced with a softer look.

"Yes, Miss Dash," William swiftly began struggling with his shoes, straining to empty them of water.

He almost didn't notice when Rainbow Dash knelt beside him with a large towel, and he fought the urge to jump again.

His fears were unwarranted, as she gave a low chuckle.

"Strip."

"… I'm-I'm sorry?" William said uneasily.

"Your clothes," Rainbow Dash nodded toward his dripping clothing. "You're soaking wet. _Strip_," she said again, and began to assist him in removing the wet articles. She tilted his arms high over his head with her wingtips, using her teeth to slowly peel his clothes piece by piece. She wrapped him in the towel comfortably, rubbing the top of his small head to clear the dampness from his hair.

"There," she said finally, giving him a small hug. Dash pulled him close to her, holding him tightly for a long, long while, to the point where William began to grow antsy from the sheer length.

Eventually, she released him, and patted him lovingly on the head.

"You go get a hot bath, mast-mister," she corrected herself, and William noted the plastic smile so similar to Pinkie Pie's.

"Yes, Miss Dash."

He tottered off through the house quietly, pattering across the floorboards at high speed.

Rainbow Dash sighed to herself, giving herself a little shake.

Maybe she shouldn't have been so harsh on her friend. After all, Pinkie had always been there for her; maybe she really was just trying to do what was best. Rainbow Dash rubbed her red and puffy eyes, and cleared her throat again as she put things away. Perhaps she should give Pinkie Pie the benefit of the doubt.

Her sudden mood change hadn't just come for no reason, and even she knew that.

It had taken her a while for it to truly sink in, and the moment it did so, all of her anger that she so desperately clung to slowly began to slip out of her grasp. Eventually, she was left feeling tired and sad… probably much like Pinkie Pie did right now. Rainbow Dash shook away the sliver of regret, a small smile tugging at her lips regardless as she listened to the sound of hot water running.

He had called her Mother.

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 15 – _

It only goes to show how very little I truly know about this new world and its inhabitants.

I have failed.

Whereas I had been so sure of myself previously, so confident in my affirmations that I possessed the intellectual foothold to accurately and efficiently handle anything and everything tossed my way, it would appear that I have been once again knocked down a peg.

Perhaps this is a good thing, ultimately. I have been reading over my previous entries, and I am loathe to admit that my overwhelming egotism brings a modicum of disgust to me. To become overconfident is to become placid and weak; and this is something that I simply cannot allow if I wish to remain sharp.

As of this point forward, I shall attempt to maintain a semblance of humility the likes of which the world has never seen.

Carrying on.

Following the themes of debasing humility, I must also state that I fully intend to apologize to the girls.

Looking back on this sentence, it repulses me slightly that I have already begun referring to them, those octave-confused witches, so cordially. I am normally not so quick to make friends with anyone.

Actually, in hindsight, aside from Ronald, I technically had no friends. I suppose that this is a greater likelihood for my recent small changes, rather than my underlying phobia that these creatures are slowly beginning to condition me with putrid amounts of love and friendliness.

I am not, nor have I ever been accused of being, a sentimentalist.

I digress; this fever causes my thoughts to wander.

I sincerely do feel a shred of regret for the way that I treated the girls. I am a supposed gentleman, after all. I positively dashed that reputation against the rocks by this point, but there may be a small chance of salvaging what I may and reinforcing my alliances.

Carrying on.

I have always been rather frail, but I wonder if the atmosphere here may be affecting my immune system. It appears that I can barely manage to make a single trek in the rain without succumbing to the vicious whips of the common cold.

Yesterday, I happened upon a rather bizarre occurrence. I believe that Miss Dash and Miss Pie may have had a falling out at some point or another during my absence, but for the life of me, I cannot decipher the reason. I again attribute this to my clouded head.

Out, damned cold!

Out, I say!

In conclusion, I believe that Miss Dash may perhaps be suffering from some form of depression or anxiety attacks, but I could be wrong. In retrospect, her symptoms bely forms of post traumatic stress disorder rather than anything; in some ways, this is cause for more fear.

Part of myself, the illogical and emotional lower brain, wishes it true that Miss Dash honestly does have my best intentions at heart.

But the rationality staring me in the face as to precisely why she insisted on sleeping in the same bed as me whilst travailing with a cold and stark naked leaves me confused more than anything else.

Again, I suspect that Miss Dash may not be completely in command of her every mental faculty, but I dread so much as touching the subject.

To my knowledge, she is (hopefully) unaware that I observed her putting away the knives.

Regardless –

0-0-0-0-0

Fluttershy knocked against the front door yet again, patiently waiting. A tiny bit of hope remained that Rainbow Dash wouldn't open the door, and Fluttershy could simply go home and say that she gave it her all, and then there would be no fear of confrontation. But then she would be breaking her promise…

Fortunately, before long, a slightly disheveled Rainbow Dash tugged the front door open, and she was silently thankful to see that the pegasus was smiling peacefully and holding a cup of coffee in one hoof.

"Morning, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said quietly after a single sneeze, taking a sip of her black brew.

"O-oh, um, good morning, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy began anxiously, tugging at the tips of her pink mane. "I-I was just, um, you know… stop-stopping by to see how, um, how you were doing…" she slowly petered off, and stood silently beneath the suddenly cold gaze of Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash wasn't stupid.

It didn't take her very long to guess that Pinkie Pie had sent her.

At first, Rainbow Dash made to close the door on her friend, but she slowly took in a deep breath, reciting lines from her training. Plus, it would have just been rude. She failed to give Pinkie Pie the benefit of the doubt the day before, and this was the fallout; she would simply have to deal with it and talk sense into Pinkie later.

If one could talk sense into Pinkie Pie, that is.

"Come on in, Flutters," Rainbow Dash nodded eventually, not noticing the tiny breath of relief that Fluttershy let out. "Mind your step; or it might just be me, I'm still not used to living ground level, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, absolutely," Fluttershy said enthusiastically, secretly glad that Dash was already appearing in a better mood. Maybe Pinkie hadn't sent her into the lion's den, after all.

She made to shut the wooden door behind her, only to find it blocked by the hoof of one very out of breath Scootaloo.

Surprised, Fluttershy blanched as the filly stared up at her through the partially closed doorway.

"Ouch," Scootaloo grinned breathlessly as her hoof was caught in the door, and Fluttershy quickly reopened it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Fluttershy pulled the door open even faster, as if that could undo it. Scootaloo merely smiled wider, ignoring the butter colored pegasus's profuse apologies.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo waved ecstatically to the unkempt and clearly unamused blue bathrobe clad Rainbow Dash, who took another sip of her coffee as reply.

After a few seconds of silence, Scootaloo awkwardly asked "Um… can-can I come in?"

From the look on her face and the sound of her voice, Rainbow Dash almost suspected that she was attempting to do a poor imitation of Fluttershy. Again, she fought the urge to usher the filly from her home, but simply let out a long sigh. It was never quite as simple dodging the little fan, and it was certain to be harder now that she had moved to the earth instead of the convenient cloud house over Ponyville.

"Sure," Rainbow Dash said dryly, taking another sip. "But just so you know, he's sick."

Scootaloo was in the process of wiping her feet on the front mat and closing the door excitedly behind her.

"Hmm?" she tilted her head. "O-oh! Oh, uh… yeah," Scootaloo's cheeks lit up a little. "H-here to see, um… William. _Yeah_."

"Oh, the poor dear is sick?" Fluttershy suddenly asked concernedly. "I wish I would have _known_; I know this _great _natural remedy for a lot of fevers. You see, you start with willow bark –"

Scootaloo drowned out the voice of the elder pegasus with a quiet groan as she traveled down the hall toward what she suspected were bedrooms. What she really wanted to do was spend some time with her idol, but it would just make her look selfish again if she didn't at least say hello to William. Her suspicions proved to be accurate, as at the end of the hall, one of the doors stood slightly ajar, and she could hear a light snuffling within.

She didn't bother knocking, barging directly in.

William, who was half unclothed and partially tucked beneath several layers of blankets, jumped as she entered. Scootaloo had to fight back the urge to snicker at his wide eyes as he panicked and attempted to jam a small black book and pencil beneath his pillow.

"Hiya, Will!" Scootaloo beamed overly cheerfully at him, showing more teeth than a hungry shark.

For perhaps the first time in her life, Scootaloo actually saw William rather flustered.

He spluttered a measly defense on how he had been recording very important data, mumbling incoherently as he pulled the blankets over himself in embarrassment. He did not turn red as she had expected him to, but his pale cheeks did turn a rather vibrant shade of pink.

"Heard you were sick!" Scootaloo grinned, plopping down beside him on the bed with a fwump.

"Evidently," William replied drolly, snagging yet another tissue from the small box on the bedside stand. He blew his nose loudly, glumly honking into the tissue a couple of times before dropping it into a small wastebasket.

"Sucks to be you," she grinned, her wings ruffling excitedly. "What'cha got there?" she pried, intent on seeing him blush again.

Instead, William gave her a deadpan worthy of a block of wood, because not even an inanimate object could have looked at her with less expression.

"Pertonal objects which do dot cohcerd yourself," he struggled through his cold.

"Jeez, you sound awful," Scootaloo said happily, kicking her hind legs off the edge of the bed.

William blew his nose again miserably, repeating the tissue dropping process and straining to clear his nose.

"And you, my dear," he tried to say more clearly. "Are the embodiment of heartlessness; sadism incarnate."

"I'm _not _sadistic!" Scootaloo defended herself. "I just think it's _hilarious _that karma bit you in the rear so hard, mister 'there is no such thing as cosmic intervention'," she mimed his previous statement word for word, bobbing her head in mockery.

"Come to kick me while I'm down, is that it?" William scowled, but a tiny smile of his own was beginning to pull at him. The filly's constant good mood was obviously infectious. And speaking of infectious…

He pulled the blankets a little closer around him, simultaneously moving quietly away from her.

"Actually," William said pensively after a moment. "I think you might have saved me a bit of walking."

"What for?" Scootaloo asked curiously, continuing to kick her legs and not quite looking at him.

He struggled with himself for a few moments, taking his time to blow his nose again and dragging it out for as long as possible. If he was expecting Scootaloo to get bored during this and leave, he was sorely disappointed. Finally, he managed to speak again in a low tone.

"I wanted to aplgzzzrs."

"… Sorry, what?" the pegasus made a show of cleaning her ear with her hoof. "Didn't _quite _catch that."

William cleared his throat, and said "I wanted to _apologize_," he frowned. "I realize that you and your friends were merely attempting to convey a level of companionship toward myself, which I threw back in your faces and slandered you for. I –"

"Lemme stop ya' _right _there," Scootaloo shook her head with another grin.

She stretched her stunted wings, turning to face him more evenly until each of them sat at opposite ends of the bed.

"First," she said slowly, tapping her hoof with the other. "You don't have to apologize for that. We're cool; you're new, even _Apple Bloom_ thought that you might need to take some time adjusting."

William tried to retort, only to be cut off again.

"Secondly," Scootaloo said more seriously, tapping her hoof again. "_secondly_, you're gonna have to be a _lot _bigger of a jerk if you want to out-jerk Diamond Tiara. Seriously," the filly chortled. "That was _so _funny."

Again, William opened his mouth to retort, but was silenced by Scootaloo.

"And finally," she tapped her hoof again, "you're a Cutie Mark Crusader now. That means we stick together, no matter what! We work together to find out who we are, and what we're supposed to be; that's the whole purpose of a Cutie Mark Crusader!"

William rolled his hand through the air, expecting her to continue. She shook her head, taking a breath.

Thankful that she had finished her tirade, William snuffled "I believe you ran off on a tangent, Miss Scootaloo –"

"Call me Scootaloo!" she said warmly. Her face suddenly returned to the serious demeanor, and she added "But only my _closest _friends call me Scoots. If you call me Scoots, you die."

"Very well, Miss Scootaloo," he nodded astutely. "Are you _quite _finished?"

Scootaloo nodded wholeheartedly.

"Good," Rainbow Dash stuck her head in through the doorway, scaring the living daylights out of both of them. "Then get out of my son's room before _you _catch it, too."

0-0-0-0-0


	4. Ch4: A Match Made In Hell

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 17 – _

Once again, I must ask myself a question of utmost importance. I wonder from time to time if I truly am being slowly but surely conditioned by these creatures, becoming more accustomed to them than anyone in their right mind would be.

I find that my original intents have begun to waver.

Not from boredom or lack of insight; I am not quite so easily swayed. No, I fear that I have slowly begun to lose interest in potentially manipulating any of them for the strangest reasons.

For example, I do not wish to hurt anyone's feelings.

Looking back on that sentence, I believe that it is most definitely one of the strangest things I have written thus far; and I cannot help but wonder if I shall delve deeper into the oddity. Barely a couple of weeks ago, I would have scoffed at such a mawkish and emotional statement, but now… now I contemplate, and doubt myself.

Doubt is the root of failure, and should I neglect to weed the garden, it shall bear no fruit.

And yet, I cannot help myself, I cannot help but wonder if perhaps this doubt that I may have overlooked my own shortcomings may be to my ultimate benefit. And in addition, I do not believe that I would have such bizarre thoughts in the first place were it not for these insufferable equines…

Yet again, I slander them without conviction.

And yet again, I wonder if, should I happen to be acclimatized and conditioned to the constant loving atmosphere of these creatures, if that would really be such a bad thing.

I would like to retract one of my previous statements. I believe that was definitely one of the strangest things I have written thus far.

But to be frank, I wonder if it is true. I have spent so long, so many years socially distancing myself out of fear of reprisal; such a long time harboring nothing but ill will and distrust that once I were finally introduced to such a truly utopian living space – in addition to the seemingly boundless care and heartfelt warmth and friendliness of these creatures – that I do not really know how to properly react to such a thing.

And no matter how strongly I attempt to uproot this seed of doubt, that same uncertainty grows with every display of affection.

I digress.

I shall not be influenced so easily. I am no simpleminded fool, and I shall be ever on my guard.

I hope.

Carrying on.

Whereas the fever finally broke somewhere about the times of three o' clock this morning, and I am rather glad that I am finally free of the clutches of illness, I found myself once again quite unclothed in the embrace of Miss Dash. In hindsight, it might not have been so bad if she didn't snore so loudly.

Again, perhaps it may simply be my inherent – or partially learned, truth be told – mistrust toward the actions of others, but her constant fawning over me seems a bit… excessive.

Do all parents treat their children in such manners?

I have read numerous books on infant rearing and child psychology, but it may only be something that new parents do. This could simply be a phase that I have not learned of that will pass eventually. I must admit, I do not have the answer. All the close hugs, the kisses, the overbearingly constant love I find myself being showered with makes me… uneasy. Once more, maybe I am still just becoming accustomed to the cultures of these people and am overanalyzing Miss Dash's affection.

Besides, the woman mare took me into her own home – it leaves me feeling an odd sense of obligation toward her. Or maybe I am finally succumbing to the sentimentality which I resist so futilely. Regardless, it is occasionally quite plain that something bothers her deeply, and I wish to do my utmost to ease her apparent suffering, as it were.

I take it all back, _that _is the strangest sentence I have ever written. I had to read it aloud to myself a couple of times just to hear it.

I leave with a sense of befuddlement once more. Miss Dash calls, and I do not wish to be late for school.

Either way, I must remember to value logic above all. I will not submit to their potential trickery.

I shall be a figure to be proud of and inspired by.

And if not, _feared._

0-0-0-0-0

"_Will~iam,"_ Rainbow Dash called. "Are you dressed yet?"

It took him a matter of moments to be at her side, small backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Yes, Miss Dash," he said breathlessly, straightening his specifically tailored clothes and standing a little taller.

"You ready, kiddo?" she asked, propping the front door open with one hoof.

He nodded silently, and she walked him quietly toward the Ponyville school.

By the time they finally arrived, several of the other students were already milling about the schoolhouse; thankfully, William did not spot Diamond Tiara or her crony. He began making for the wooden red building, the morning bell already beginning to ring.

Rainbow Dash stopped him momentarily with a wingtip on his shoulder, turning him gently around to face her.

"Behave yourself at school today. Okay?" she pulled him into a hug.

"Yes, Miss Dash."

"You can call me 'Mom' any day now, you know that, right?"

William looked up at her and opened his mouth to reply, but closed it sharply and cast his gaze toward the ground for a few moments. After a few quiet seconds, he looked awkwardly into her eyes and nodded slowly.

"Yes... Mother."

Rainbow Dash immediately pulled him closer, giving him a little kiss. For a moment, he thought that she would pull away – but it simply lasted longer, and the seconds ticked by. Longer… and longer…

"Go on," she swatted his rear suddenly with an odd grin, hurrying him along. "Don't be late. See you after school, Squirt."

He nodded swiftly, taking off as quickly as he could. She sighed quietly watching him go, forgetting the whole reason that she was angry with him in the first place.

0-0-0-0-0

"Heyya, Will!" Scootaloo waved cheerfully, breaking away from Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to trot toward him as he slipped inside the classroom.

"My name is William," he stated bluntly.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle followed close behind, swarming him like multicolored piranha.

"Glad t'see you're feelin' better," Apple Bloom beamed at him as more students piled in through the door. "Heard ya' caught something real nasty."

"I have recovered, evidently," William said expressionlessly. "I assure you that there is no need for concern."

Scootaloo scoffed with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Pffft. Tch. Huh. Ha. _Concern_?" she snorted, rearing her head back a little. "I wasn't _worried _about you. No way."

"Really? Because you spent an _awful _lot of time in bed next to me for someone that is clearly unconcerned."

The pegasus gained a sudden red blush to her cheeks, and she ruffled her small wings uncomfortably.

Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's jaws dropped quietly as swiftly as their eyebrows rose, and a high, cold laugh emanated from behind them.

_"That's n-not what he meant!"_ Scootaloo spluttered, whirling to face Diamond Tiara.

"My, my," she leered at them, Silver Spoon peering around from behind her. "Looks like ugly here isn't the _only _deviant in Ponyville."

Before either William or Scootaloo could speak, Sweetie Belle took charge, marching forward with her head held high.

"Well, what a surprise. Diamond Tiara's _eavesdropping _again," Sweetie scowled at her.

"Girls," William started anxiously with a pink tinge of his own on his face, holding up his hands with his palms out. "Can we just –"

"_Eavesdropping_?" Diamond Tiara smirked, her friend following her lead. "Ugh, can you _believe _this tripe, Silver? As if we would _stoop _to their level, when they're all _shouting _about_ bedding the new colt."_

_"SHOUTING?!"_

"Girls?"

"What's the matter?" Scootaloo jabbed Diamond Tiara in the chest. "_Jealous_?"

"Uh, ladies?"

"As _if_!" Diamond scoffed, pushing her back.

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" _Apple Bloom intervened, and she stepped in between the two of them, nervously watching Cheerilee approaching as she chatted with one of the leaving parents. She placed a hoof on both Diamond Tiara and the furious Scootaloo, keeping them back from each other.

"Come on, gals," Apple Bloom said desperately. "Give it a break for _one _day, would ya?"

"The hillbilly is right _for once_," Diamond Tiara sniffed, pulling away and giving Scootaloo a dirty look. "The chicken ought to learn her _place _for a day."

"I am_ not a chicken!"_

"You want a_ busted beak, chicken?"_

Perhaps it had been because of the filly's constant holier than thou attitude, her smugness and aggressive behavior, but William had finally had enough.

"Are you _quite _finished?" he snapped, crossing his small arms across his chest.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm _not_!" Diamond stepped forward threateningly.

He butted heads with her, glaring hatefully into her large, bright blue eyes.

He hadn't realized until he was directly in front of her just how brilliantly blue her eyes were.

_"Cease and desist,"_ William slowly said in an icy tone, his voice suddenly growing very, very quiet. "Or I shall _teach _you what it means to _learn your place."_

Diamond Tiara might not have known the imminent danger, but Scootaloo was a little surprised to see Apple Bloom's reaction. Her eyes suddenly went as wide as saucers, and she gaped at the pair with the most aghast, _horrified _expression she had ever seen on a pony. She quickly waved frantically at the slowly moving teacher, distracting her from a chatting Filthy Rich.

"You two _again_?" Cheerilee startled them all, looming over them from the doorway. "All of you, _break it up!_ To your seats, the lot of you!"

There was a quiet round of 'yes ma'ams' as a couple of stragglers darted into the classroom late, along with a particularly pudgy colt trudging behind a scrawny golden colored unicorn loping ahead of him.

"Now, if you're all done being overly dramatic, we'll begin roll call…"

0-0-0-0-0

Dash was in a pretty good mood.

Rainbow Dash bucked yet another chunk of white cloud from the sky, noting satisfactorily as it dissipated from her powerful kick.

She soared around toward another lazily drifting cloud, giving it a swift buck and watching as it vanished from the force of the blow.

"Rainbow Dash!"

She glanced downward distractedly, peering at the waving unicorn. Dash checked around the sky first, assuring herself that the sky was clear enough for the moment before dropping from the air like a stone. She swooped and flared her wings at the last moment, landing lithely before Twilight with a grin.

"What's up, Twi?" she asked in an upbeat tone. "Couldn't resist watching me clear the sky faster than anypony else can, huh?"

"A little _late _for that, don't you think?" Twilight stood on the grassy knoll firmly, frowning at her.

"Don't quite follow," Dash cocked an eyebrow cautiously.

"Dash," Twilight stated slowly. "We got a _thunderstorm _Saturday."

"Yeah? _And_?"

"We weren't scheduled for any weather activity," Twilight said in agitation. "Look, I know that you have your own personal life, but you're in _charge _of the Ponyville weather patrol –"

Twilight jerked back slightly in surprise when Rainbow Dash jabbed her angrily in the chest with one hoof.

"Hey!" the pegasus glowered at her, narrowing her eyes. "I was _busy_. I had a _sick colt _with a _cold _on my hooves, for your information!"

"I – oh," Twilight stuttered uncertainly, stepping back. "I'm sorry to hear that. I wondered why he didn't bother to show up Saturday, rain or no – is he well?"

"Fine, thanks for asking," Rainbow Dash said huffily. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got a _job _to do."

She took off with a gust of wind, billowing Twilight backwards. She threw a hoof up to cover her eyes from the flying dust, and shook her head as she slowly walked away.

Maybe she was looking too deeply into it.

Sure, Rainbow Dash had seemed a little… _off_, but it could have just been because of William. Yeah, that was it.

A thought occurred to Twilight as she scanned the sky for the cerulean pegasus, who was nowhere to be seen.

Rainbow Dash had said that she was busy with William.

Who was sick.

With a cold.

In all likelihood, _because of the rain._

Twilight furrowed her brows as she walked, losing herself in thought.

Maybe it was high time that she paid the young Mister Klaskovsky a visit.

0-0-0-0-0

"Is he coming, or _what_?" Scootaloo peered over her shoulder expectantly as Snips and Twist brushed past her. Laughter intermingled with the gleeful ring of the school bell, filling the air.

"I don't think so," Sweetie Belle shook her head as she walked between the fretting pegasus and Apple Bloom. "I heard Miss Cheerilee talking about keeping him after class."

"What for?" Scootaloo tilted her head a little.

"Probably 'bout Diamond Tiara," Apple Bloom tutted sadly.

Scootaloo scowled at the mention of the filly's name, and her steps became a little more heavy.

"Hmph. I hope _she _gets kept after school."

"Right along next to Will," Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes as they walked.

"I still should have _clocked _'er," Scootaloo punched the air a couple of times. "Right in the mouth! _Bam_!"

Apple Bloom shuffled along with a distasteful look at her friend.

"I dunno, Scoots," the farm pony frowned. "I'm pretty sure gettin' into fights is just gonna make more trouble for everypony involved."

"Yeah," Scootaloo nodded slowly. "But at least it'd be worth it, giving that spoiled brat a black eye."

"Ooh," Sweetie Belle teased her. "Somepony's a little _defensive _of their new _coltfriend_, huh, Scoots?"

She blushed heatedly, her small wings flaring upwards.

"He is_ not –!"_

"Aw, hush, girls," Apple Bloom tutted good-naturedly. "You know she don't mean no harm, Scoots."

"It's still funny," Sweetie Belle hid a giggle.

Scootaloo was clearly unamused.

"I just don't see why you're so _dead set _against letting me just _wallop _Diamond Tiara around the head already," Scootaloo gave a small pebble a frustrated kick as hard as she could and watched it sail with a couple of skips down the worn dirt road, but it was no more capable of relieving her of her anger than she alone was.

She paused for a moment, turning her head to look at Apple Bloom.

"And now that I think about it," she said slowly. "How come you had to go and start flapping your hooves at Miss Cheerilee? I'm pretty sure Will was just about to kick her in the _teeth_, too!"

Apple Bloom cringed, and the other two had to take a moment to realize that she was no longer walking with them.

She fiddled with her bow unhappily, thinking of the right words.

After a few seconds, she checked around them to ensure that they were alone, and cleared her throat.

"Y'all do know about-about William… actually, why don't you gals tell me what'cha know, and I'll tell you the rest."

Scootaloo gave her an odd look, and even Sweetie Belle looked confused.

"What are you _getting _at, exactly?" Sweetie asked curiously.

"Never mind," Apple Bloom swiveled her head around in mild paranoia. "Not here – we'll talk 'bout it at the clubhouse."

"Oh, _come on,_" Scootaloo complained loudly, causing Apple Bloom to check around nervously again. However, they were completely alone. "Just _spit it out_, already."

"I think I agree with Scootaloo on this one," Sweetie nodded. "What's eating you, Apple Bloom?"

She struggled for a moment, trotting over to the roadside and ushering her friends along with her. She eventually sat down quietly behind a large and leafy bush, removing her saddlebag and making herself comfortable in the grass.

"Y'all might want to sit down," Apple Bloom said slowly. "And sit while you can, 'cause I got some talkin' to do."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo followed her lead, patiently waiting.

Apple Bloom took a deep breath, and let it out as she straightened her bow again.

"Right," she began slowly, obviously distressed. "Well, if you wanna know the truth… I'm kinda _scared _o' Will."

Scootaloo snorted, and rolled her eyes.

"Is that all?" she grinned. "Look, Apple Bloom, I know he looks a little funny –"

"That's not what I meant," she insisted, frowning. "I'm serious, Scoots. That colt's got me feelin' real uncomfortable like."

"In a good way…?" Scootaloo grinned slyly.

Apple Bloom stamped her foreleg against the ground, making her jump.

"I mean it, Scootaloo!" she said, and Scootaloo immediately stopped when she detected the stress in her voice. Apple Bloom took a longer breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it all out in a short burst.

"Maybe you should start at the beginning," Sweetie Belle suggested helpfully, and Apple Bloom nodded and cleared her throat again.

"Okay. _Whoo_," she ran a hoof through her mane with discomfort. "Y'all _do _know where Will _comes _from, right?"

"He's Rainbow Dash's adopted colt," Scootaloo answered immediately.

"Well, yeah," Apple Bloom nodded again. "But how much do you know 'bout his _dad_?"

"Nopony has seen Discord for weeks," Sweetie Belle said in confusion. "And Rarity says Discord really isn't so bad once you get to know him."

Apple Bloom stared at the unicorn for a moment, and said "Discord _ain't_ Will's dad."

"He's not?" Scootaloo asked in surprise. "I thought Will was just some really bucked up looking draconequus, or something."

"Human," Sweetie Belle corrected her.

"Right," Apple Bloom tilted her head toward Sweetie. "He's human. From another world. Discord _adopted _him."

Sweetie's mouth formed a silent but knowing 'o' and Scootaloo mulled this over for a moment, thinking.

"I still don't get what all the _fuss _is about, though," she shook her head. "Just because of that; I mean, sure, it's kind of _weird_, but_ I_ like him."

_"Knew it,"_ Sweetie Belle said in a singsong tone.

"_Can _it, Sweetie."

Apple Bloom sighed, and said "Okay… it took a mite of pryin', but I finally got my sister ta spill the beans. Scoots," she asked suddenly, turning toward the pegasus. "How much do you know about that time when Rainbow Dash went missin'?"

A dark, pained look fell over Scootaloo for a moment, and she said "I know she was gone for, like, a whole day. It was the same day that she promised to teach me some tricks about flying; I waited, and waited, and waited, all day long. But…" she pulled at the tips of her mane fitfully. "She never showed up."

"Right," Apple Bloom agreed. "Except she wasn't gone for just one day."

Scootaloo looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Apple Bloom whispered conspiratorially. "Rainbow Dash was gone for _months_."

_"Whaaaaaaat?"_ she said in disbelief. To her surprise, Sweetie Belle was nodding her head in agreement.

"It's true," Sweetie said slowly. "Rarity said the same thing; that Dash was gone for months because of some kind of messed up magic, and she wouldn't tell me anything about it."

"Right," Apple Bloom said a little more excitedly. "That whole time, Applejack said she was gone to the _same _place William comes from."

"So?" Scootaloo argued. "What's the big deal? How does that make Will bad?"

"Scootaloo," Apple Bloom struggled. "Rainbow Dash was _foalnapped_."

The pegasus's mouth hanged open skepticism.

"Are you _sure_?"

"My sister wouldn't lie to me 'bout something like that!" Apple Bloom insisted. "That's the whole reason Dash spent so much time in the hospital – somepony in that other world messed her up. She got messed up _real _bad."

Scootaloo's look of fury and disgust burned across her features, and she pulled at the ground before her with her hooves.

"How come nopony told me?" she growled through her teeth. She paced before the other two, stamping angrily. "If I'd have known Rainbow Dash got that bad because somepony foalnapped her, I'd have… I'd have…!"

_"That's _William's father."

Scootaloo stopped dead in her tracks, all expression leaving her face.

_"… What?"_

Apple Bloom nodded somberly.

"It's true," she said. "The one who messed up Rainbow Dash was William's dad."

"That's not – I can't – how – _you're lying!_" Scootaloo sputtered accusingly, her stunted wings flaring up once again.

And once more, Sweetie Belle nodded quietly.

"My sister told me pretty much the same thing," she admitted. "She was a whole lot more vague about it, though. Didn't want to talk about it."

Scootaloo sat down hard, confused and conflicted.

After a while, she said "Just because his _dad _hurt Rainbow Dash… I-I mean, that doesn't mean that _he's_…"

"Applejack always told me," she said worriedly. "She said that th' apple never falls far from the tree. I don't wanna believe it myself, but…"

"You're wrong," Scootaloo said uncertainly, looking back and forth between her friends. "He's-he's not like that."

They sat in silence, looking back at her.

"He's _not_," she insisted again. "And that's a _terrible _thing to assume, Apple Bloom!"

She fiddled with her hooves uncomfortably, looking at the ground. She eventually looked up at her, though.

"I'm just sayin'," Apple Bloom mumbled. "It makes me nervous. If Discord himself brought him to our world, then, well… I mean, Applejack says he's reformed an' all, but I don't trust that slippery snake in the grass for nothin'."

"Maybe Scoots is right, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle stated. "Maybe Will's really not so bad. I mean, he _is _a Cutie Mark Crusader now… he's our _friend_. It's just not right to go judging without at least giving him a _chance_."

Apple Bloom chewed her bottom lip, torn.

"You're wrong about him," Scootaloo vowed again. "You're _wrong_, and I'm going to _prove _it."

0-0-0-0-0

"Sorry, come again?" William asked in mild disbelief, gawking at his teacher.

"Yes, both of you," Cheerilee nodded to him and the mortified Diamond Tiara as the others filed cheerfully with much racket out of the classroom. "I'd like you both to stay put, as it would seem that you clearly have some issues to work out."

"But-but that's not fair!" Diamond Tiara protested. "My daddy said –"

"Mister Rich was _completely _in favor of insisting that you stay after school," Cheerilee informed her snappily. "Both of your parents were, as I've already taken the liberty of personally speaking with them."

William eyed the schoolteacher warily. Perhaps she was a bit more clever than she originally let on.

"But it's still not fair!" the filly insisted. "Why am_ I_ being punished? _He's_ the deviant!"

Quietly as he clasped his hands while remaining at his desk, William retorted "And you, my dear, are an antagonistic, contrived and conceited heathenish little _troglodyte_."

Cheerilee had a sudden coughing fit, which sounded _mysteriously _like hidden laughter.

She regained her composure quickly, giving them both a hard look.

"Now, listen, you two," Cheerilee said firmly. "This has gone on long enough! There aren't going to be any more confrontations between you two; am I understood?"

"Yes, Miss Cheerilee," they each replied sullenly.

"Good," she nodded, pacing back and forth between them before finally sitting behind her desk. "Because if you two don't both straighten out and get along, you can look forward to spending summer school _together_."

_"What?!"_ Diamond Tiara belted at the unfairness.

"You _heard _me," Cheerilee narrowed her eyes. "I want to see _immediate _improvement of your attitudes, and since it's clear that separating you two is only going to postpone the problem…"

She held her hooves together as she thought, and for a moment, William noted that if she had fingers she would be forming them into a steeple.

"From now on... you two are going to be spending _every _day with each other!" Cheerilee said with a large smile.

_"What?!"_ William belted at the unfairness.

"You _heard _me," Cheerilee nodded to him, and she secretly had to fight back a grin at his expression. "You two could stand to clean out your ears now and again, hmm? And if I _don't_ see prompt improvement – from _both _of you, and I'll be checking in with your parents – you'll have a _lot _more time to make friends with each other while everypony else is enjoying summer vacation."

For once, Diamond Tiara and William agreed with the other; such a threat was a fate worse than death.

They both seethed quietly, although Diamond's eye was twitching violently.

"… You can go now," Cheerilee beamed at them, waving them both toward the door. "Go on, you two. Get out there and go make friends with each other!"

William stood silently, distantly followed by the angrily grumbling filly.

"And remember," Cheerilee pointed to her eyes with one hoof, and back at each of them. "I'll know if you two start fighting again. I have eyes and ears _every~where…!_" she ended spookily, wriggling her forelegs and drawing backwards into the sanctity of the schoolhouse, snapping the door closed in their faces.

After a few moments, William took a deep breath and let out a long sigh of exasperation.

"_Everywhere_!" Cheerilee jerked the door back open suddenly, causing them both to jump. The door promptly snapped shut again, and Diamond Tiara could have sworn that she heard the sound of giggling. Perhaps she was mistaken.

The filly glared viciously at him, refusing to give ground or look away. William almost hoped that some other poor soul would take his place so that he could hurry home, but the schoolyard appeared to be completely deserted. He let out another long breath, his thoughts heavy.

After a while, he uncomfortably cleared his throat.

"Very well," he mumbled finally. "Miss… _Tiara_. It would appear that we have gotten off on the wrong f-hoof."

She huffed, walking away silently with her nose in the air.

Quietly, he kept up the pace of her trot, walking alongside her.

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, her frown deepening.

"Ugh. Just _go away_, ugly."

"My name is William," he stated quietly, passing beneath the shadow of an overhanging oak branch along the path.

"Fine, whatever," she hissed. "I don't care if she thinks separation is a bad thing. Just leave me _alone_, and stay out of my way so that we can both stay out of summer school. Got it?"

For a moment, William was tempted to simply accept her proposition and walk away home, pretending that everything was fine.

Then again, there was another small part of him that sincerely wanted to make the unruly filly as _miserable _as she tended to make everyone else.

And gears began to turn.

William would prove that he wasn't as bad as her. He was a_ problem solver._

He was going to solve the problem.

"Why, _Miss Tiara_," William smiled at her suddenly, sidling up next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they walked. "I believe that Miss Cheerilee made an _excellent _point. I think that you and I are going to get along just _fine _from now on."

Tiara glared at him when he cast his arm over her.

To be honest, she did _not _like the look of his overly large smile in the slightest.

"What-what makes you say that?" she inquired apprehensively, suddenly fearful.

"Oh, you know," he released her and rolled his hand flippantly, the unnaturally large grin still plastered to his face. He strolled cheerfully alongside her, his smile only widening. "I _certainly _wouldn't mind spending all summer with such a _dainty _little thing such as yourself…" William lied through his teeth.

Diamond Tiara flushed suddenly, her steps faltered for a single second.

"But _really_," he patted her kindly on the side, his grin growing a little larger until he was smiling from ear to ear like the world's palest Cheshire cat. "We have _so _much in common, I think. What reason do we _really _have for not already being friends?"

William's too-big smile was beginning to creep her out a little, and Diamond Tiara fought the urge to shrug him off again.

"I-I guess…" she started quietly. "We'll just get this over with, and then nopony has to spend all summer in school."

"Ooh, such a _clever _pony," William said without a hint of detectable mockery, although she still felt like it was hidden beneath his tone. "Yes, little Miss Tiara. I have something _fun _in mind, and through such a _bonding _experience, I think that we're going to be _inseparable_."

"Whatever," Tiara said uncomfortably, unable to look him in the eyes any longer.

There was just something… _off _about the way he was looking at her.

Something _wrong _with his eyes.

"So, let's get you home, eh, Miss Tiara? My friend?"

"Yeah, great," she said distractedly, shifting her school's saddlebag a little. "I'll play your little game."

_"There's_ a good girl."

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

Thanks kindly for the reviews!


	5. Ch5: A Friend In Need

0-0-0-0-0

The home of Diamond Tiara was an enormous and opulent one.

Tall, spike tipped iron gates barred the entrance to a long, winding path upward to the expansive mansion, and William was actually a little captivated by the masonry. It was clear that Diamond Tiara and her family had rather expensive tastes.

"My, my," William whistled lowly. "This estate must cost a _small fortune_ in order to maintain."

Diamond Tiara snorted, pushing her way through the oiled iron gate and letting it swing open. "More like large fortune," she bragged, William's odd behavior already forgotten. Just as the gate began to close, William snagged it by the bars and held it open, giving the filly his best winning smile.

"Why, I'm rather _surprised _at you, Miss Tiara. You aren't even going to show your new friend the estate?"

"Why would I?" she asked huffily, shifting the small saddlebag on her back for comfort. Before she could say more and resisting the urge to grind his teeth, William pressed on.

"Because I'm simply so _impressed _by the grounds alone," he pretended to be interested in the sprawling and topiary laden garden before the mansion. "Why, you must want everyone to _think _that you're positively swimming in money."

_"Think?_" Diamond Tiara scoffed.

"Hmm," William suddenly became very attentive to the tips of his fingernails. "I suppose everything behind the garden is an absolute _hovel_."

The filly scowled at him, and pawed at the ground in front of her momentarily in agitation.

"I'll have you know that my house is worth a lot of bits!" she insisted.

"Of _course _it is, Miss Tiara, of _course _it is," the disbelief evident in his voice. "I'll bet Silver Spoon's, or even Miss Dash's house is considered _far _superior to this one."

William had to fight back any facial expressions as Diamond Tiara let out a little high pitched whistle of frustration through her teeth and glowered at him.

"I doubt it," Diamond Tiara bragged, refusing to let her sense of pride get bruised. "Follow me, ugly. I'll show you what a _real _mansion looks like."

She didn't hear the low, angry mumble of "My _name _is _William_."

She held her nose high into the air as she strutted up the winding, twisting cobblestone path to the mansion, and William let the iron gate latch quietly behind him.

It was held in place by a single bar.

Did these ponies simply have no sense of security? Could it possibly be so simple…?

And as plans and ideas began to take root in William's mind, had Diamond Tiara taken the time to survey him, it might have been possible for her to spot the wickedly twisted grin worming its way onto his pale face.

Closer to the mansion, William spotted a shadowy figure moving behind a pair of cobalt curtains close to the front door. Which was unfortunate for him, as it played almost directly opposite into what he was planning; however, he could adjust. Diamond Tiara trotted silently up to the front door, rearranging her saddlebag on her back a little to more evenly bang on the double doors. Each one had an ornately crafted brass handle, which glinted pleasantly in the sunlight.

_"Missus Po~ts!"_ Tiara wailed. "Get the _door _for me!"

When she received no answer, Diamond Tiara breathed angrily through her nose. Before she could speak, William intervened yet again.

"Excuse me, Miss Tiara," William tapped her on the shoulder, all expression leaving his face as he held out his other hand. "Why don't I carry your bags for you the rest of the way," he offered, leaning against the ornate door and pushing it open with a little difficulty. It was surprisingly heavy, which he noted for later.

She blinked at him, and said "Oh. Yeah, fine, whatever," Tiara slid her saddlebag off, allowing him to carefully place it on one shoulder as he held the door for her. "She's probably out in the side garden again."

William also silently noted that the spoiled filly didn't even bother to thank him, but it wasn't of much importance. The important things were already in progress.

Then Diamond Tiara trotted in haughtily and left him with the door, unconsciously flicking him in the nose with the tip of her tail as she did so.

The quietly boiling rage that had been slowly broiling in him with every minute that he spent with the brat nearly tipped over, and he strained to remain silent as he clenched his jaw tightly.

As he allowed the heavy door to swing shut while he stepped into the thankfully cool shade of Diamond Tiara's home, he heard the voice he was expecting.

"Hello, Diamond," the familiar stallion poked his head around the corner, thin black mane pulled back over his head as he gave her a small smile. "How was school, hone-oh_, yay."_

The tan earth pony's deadpan reaction as he gave a flat stare at William was all he needed to see to tell that the pony was unamused, but Filthy Rich actually cocked an eyebrow when he saw William carrying his daughter's schoolbag.

"Diamond," Filthy sighed with a frown. "I've already told you, I'm not going to spank the colt –"

"Uh, actually, Daddy," Diamond Tiara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Ug- I mean, _William _here is… is my new… my-my new 'friend'." She spat the last word out with barely hidden contempt.

Filthy Rich blinked, looking back and forth between the silent human and his fitful daughter. He had a look crossed somewhere between mildly pleased and curiously surprised on his face.

"… You have friends now?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"… Are you _sure_?"

"_Yes_, Daddy," Diamond Tiara said in exasperation.

"The one who had you lip-locked on his first day of school?"

Tiara flushed brightly, and stamped her hoof against the ground.

_"Yes, Daddy!"_ she struggled to find the right words, evidently displeased.

Filthy shrugged eventually, nodded to them both.

"I suppose I knew it would happen eventually," he said vaguely, extending a hoof to William. "You must be the 'hooligan'," he chortled quietly.

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Mister Filthy," William shook his hoof with his free hand.

The stallion's eyes promptly narrowed, and William uncomfortably fiddled with Diamond Tiara's saddlebag on his shoulder. After a moment, her father merely let out a tired sigh.

"Please," he asked, returning to his amicable behavior and smiling good naturedly. "If anything, call me Rich."

"As per your request, Mister Rich." William bowed his head respectfully, earning a nod of approval from her father. Filthy patted the frustrated Diamond Tiara on the head, trotting off.

"Right-o, then. Play nice with your new coltfriend, Tiara."

"He is _not my coltfriend!"_ Diamond Tiara screeched, earning a titter from the leaving stallion.

"Of course he's not, honey, of _course _not."

As he left, William could have sworn that he heard something along the lines of 'just like her mother' echoing down the hall.

Diamond Tiara let out another angry huff, blowing a lock of mane from her face.

"Well," William grinned. "He seems like a rather easy going fellow."

_Perfect_.

0-0-0-0-0

"You're late."

William jumped a little as he closed the door behind him, Rainbow Dash giving him an odd look.

Her multicolored mane was a little disheveled, and her glare cut through the air from her seat at the wooden table. William wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, and cleared his throat.

"Yes, Mi-Mother," he nodded quietly. "I merely took the liberty of walking Miss Tiara home."

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Right," she mouthed quietly. "The afterschool thing." Oddly, she still sat silently contemplating for a long while. Eventually, however, she pulled William in close and gave him a hug and kiss, instructing him to put his things away.

They had a mostly quiet dinner, as even though Rainbow Dash was speaking to him almost constantly, he found it difficult to really focus with his mind on… other matters. It felt like the evening passed by swiftly, although he didn't notice this either. It was like a fire had begun to burn behind his eyes as he contemplated, consuming his time.

William let the pouring droplets from the showerhead fall over him, the steam rising up around him as he lost himself in thought. The steam collected on the dark curtains surrounding the claw foot tub, dripping slowly downward to join their brethren in the dim light. William let out a quiet breath, closing his eyes and letting the nearly scalding water pour over his head.

His thoughts gradually turned back to Diamond Tiara, her eternally foul attitude. The memory of the way she tended to treat Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle wound upwards; he couldn't tell if she hated them more than anyone else, or if she walked all over everyone in a similar manner.

Regardless, it was unforgivable, and it held his complete attention as he plotted.

As a result, he didn't necessarily notice at first when the dim light flickered slightly.

He let out a gasp of surprise and terror when the last thing he would have expected scared him enough to nearly make him slip to the floor. He felt stupid for it, but his first assumption was that Diamond Tiara had somehow read his intentions and had snuck up on him.

Rainbow Dash caught him by the waist in one hoof, saving him from falling as hot water hit him in the eyes. He spluttered as he struggled to regain balance, the pegasus hushing him as she slid into the shower behind him.

"Shh," Dash quieted him as she helped him stand evenly, keeping her hoof firmly on his waist. "Shh, shh shh shh shh. I didn't mean to scare ya."

William froze as Rainbow Dash slipped one wing over one of his shoulders, the hot water constantly raining down on them. Silently, Dash began shampooing his hair, the flat of her hoof running smoothly over his scalp. She hummed a quiet tune and tenderly ensured that he was washed, the accumulation of the day filtering away with the heat down the drain.

"… Mother?"

_"Hush."_

Rainbow Dash hugged him again, and he silently assured himself that the warmth rising in his face was completely due to the hot shower. William fidgeted nervously for a few minutes, but Dash didn't let go; eventually, he simply closed his eyes as hers were and stood still, listening to her almost noiseless contented sighs through the patter of falling water. She quietly rested her chin on his opposite shoulder, holding onto him gently until the water began to run cold.

The water fell over his head, trickling down his ears and over his skin. Dash whispered into his ear, her scratchy murmur almost hidden by the sound of the shower.

"You remind me so much of your father."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 18 –_

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Upon my reconnaissance mission to the estate of Filthy Rich, I discovered a great many things. For example, it would appear that even some of the richest of ponies in this town think themselves either impervious to the wiles of burglars, or these fools are even more trusting than I thought. I was rather surprised to discover that the most sophisticated means of security that Diamond Tiara's household possesses are single-latch shutters on the windows.

No measures of defense, no methods of alarm.

This is going to be pathetically easy.

However, I must be wary; I shall pull this off without a single hitch, and if I am to do so, I must be completely prepared. It would not do to be caught by surprise or undermined at the last moment, depriving me of finally teaching that unruly, unpleasant child a lesson.

Speaking of being caught by _surprise_…

I do not believe that Miss Dash is completely 'normal'.

I am not quite sure why she believes that I remind her of Discord; if anything, the two of us are (from what I can assume, I have not seen him since he first departed) nearly polar opposites. This only raises a slew of other questions, but I am preoccupied.

She joined me once again in the shower last night, and I wearily admit that her insistence upon sleeping in the same bed is doing nothing for my sleep. I find that I simply cannot rest properly, and I am not entirely certain why. She appears to have peculiar habits in states of unconsciousness, ranging anywhere from sleepwalking to moaning things into my ear when I am trying to sleep.

To be frank, rather vulgar statements that I did not assume these equines even contemplated.

It makes me… uncomfortable.

I digress.

I am certain that she will cease her nonsensical behavior eventually. Or at the very least, I do hope she is going to. It has occurred to me a time or two to confront her on these behaviors, but…

I do not know why I do not simply oppose her.

Perhaps it is in part because she treats me with constant attention and adoration; or, what I assume is close enough to adoration. Regardless, she clearly loves me as her own, and I admit nothing, but I may be just a tiny bit fearful that should I reject her, I shall be denied the attention she supports me with. Or worse, ousted completely. I do not know if anyone else in this village would take me in.

But I spent long enough without any parent. Reassuming the previous position would not kill me.

I have become reliant in my time here. Soft. The more I dwell on the ramifications of forming emotional ties with Mother Miss Dash, the more blatantly it occurs to me that I have indeed slowly become submissive to their whims.

Submission is for the weak.

Then again, Miss Pie has assured me on numerous occasions that should I ever need anything, no matter the request, that she would fulfill it to the best of her ability. However, I doubt that this is a promise of goodwill and more a common courtesy than anything else. Perhaps Diamond Tiara could take a few lessons from her.

Lately, I find that my nearly every thought is spent and devoured by this filly. I cannot stop thinking about that spoiled brat. I believe that I may be developing a potentially unhealthy obsession, but at this point, I no longer care. She acts as a very testament to what a child should not be – and I shall be the first to admit that Diamond Tiara repulses me in every facet imaginable, and I sincerely doubt that a single semester of summer school is going to straighten that vehement little shrew out properly.

Her every word, everything that passes those painted little lips makes me froth with rage. Oh, how I despise that despicable miniature demon and her constant antipathy toward those that obviously do not deserve it. It makes my blood boil, even thinking about her obnoxious, high pitched voice!

She wants to spout arrogant nonsense, does she?

She believes that she is better than everyone else, does she?

She want to threaten my friends, does she?

I think that I have a better solution to this little 'problem'.

Oh, yes.

I am going to utterly _dominate _that insufferable little _bitch_.

0-0-0-0-0

"William!" Rainbow Dash knocked on his door, "Are you dressed yet?"

She cracked the door open just in time to see him snapping his little black journal shut and stuffing it with his other books, and he nodded quietly.

"Yes, Mis-Mother," he corrected himself.

He was nearly at the front door before Rainbow Dash stopped him, her hoof silently extending to the wall in front of him and blocking the way. She bit her lower lip, and ruffled her wings before speaking.

"… You know, baby, you don't have to go to school today if-if you don't want to…" she began softly.

Ever so slowly, William skimmed his hand over the wall and grasped Rainbow Dash's hoof. He took it gently in his own hands, but looked at her sternly.

"I would never pass up the opportunity for education, Mother," he stated firmly. "Besides, if I do not spend an adequate number of hours with Diamond Tiara, then we shall both have summer school. I need to go before I am late."

"Right, of course!" Rainbow Dash dropped her hoof and laughed a little too loudly, jerking him into a quick hug. "Of course, I-I'm just being silly. Silly again. Hurry up and don't be late for school!" she pushed him quickly out the front door, snapping it shut behind him.

A little perturbed, he shifted his schoolbag from one shoulder to the other as he stared at the house.

It could have been just him, but… was there something wrong with her eyes?

He shook his head silently, thoughts heavy enough to make his head rattle.

William walked at an uneven pace toward the schoolhouse, thinking. And of course, he wound up batting back more thoughts of Diamond Tiara and her brilliantly blue eyes than he expected.

The brat would _learn_.

He remained quiet throughout most of the day, keeping his gaze away from anyone else.

Scootaloo pried almost nonstop throughout lunch as they sat beneath the shade of an old oak tree, curious as to his behavior.

"You feeling okay today?" the pegasus poked her nose over the tip of his mathematics book, earning a mildly irritated stare from him before he returned to reading.

"Quite," William assured her. "I have merely been distracted lately, if you must know."

"It's Diamond Tiara," Sweetie Belle said without looking up from her slices of apples and celery.

William's eye twitched almost instantly, and he struggled to keep from showing emotion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His insistence was strong in his voice.

Apple Bloom pointed with a slanted frown.

"No, it's Diamond Tiara," she jabbed toward the oncoming filly, who was for once devoid of Silver Spoon.

"Great," Scootaloo scowled, preparing herself. "Here comes trouble. _Again_." she braced herself for the onslaught of whatever torment the filly brought them for the day, but to her immense surprise, she merely passed silently by the pegasus with her nose held into the air and honed in on William.

"You," Diamond Tiara closed his book in his face. "Come with me."

William sat very, very still for a moment, looking at the green cover of his math book.

"… You closed my book."

"Yeah, whatever," Diamond Tiara tossed her head swiftly, agitated. "Get _up _already."

"You _closed _my _book_," his voice went icy and cold, and he still didn't look up at her.

"Why don't you go bother somepony else for once, Tiara?" Apple Bloom furrowed her brows, her small bow sliding along her head as she did so.

"None of your business, that's why," the filly snapped. "Hurry up, ugly. You're coming with me."

"You _closed _my b-_MY NAME IS WILLIAM!"_

Scootaloo actually blinked, backing away a step. She didn't think that she'd ever actually heard William raise his voice, and from the looks on the other fillies's faces, they hadn't either.

The boy was practically radiating cold anger, gripping his small book so tightly that his knuckles began turning white.

"Ugh, fine, _William_," Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, oblivious. "Leave these dorks and come with me. It's just for a minute, and if you don't do it – just hurry up, _would _you?"

She trotted off back hurriedly toward the schoolhouse, rounding the sharp red corner as William stood, not bothering to collect his things.

"You're not _seriously _going after her, are you?" Scootaloo asked with an odd look on her face.

He was already gone.

She wanted him to _hurry_, did she?

Rage sweltered and frothed with such intensity that he felt like his skin were crawling, but this only quickened his pace.

She _closed _his _book_.

William turned around the side of the building with tightly clenched fists and mind narrowed onto rather contemptuous thoughts, with a fire in his belly and fully ready to put Diamond Tiara in her place.

"Hurry up, William!" Diamond Tiara scolded him again, and he was about to retort when he saw precisely why she was hastening him.

Tiara stood worriedly over Silver Spoon, who lay moaning on the ground in front of her.

William quickly found that all of his closely held anger was swiftly fading, and Diamond Tiara pranced back and forth on her front hooves in panic.

"This is why you called me? To…?" he left it hanging, a little confused.

"Yes, already!" Diamond Tiara shrieked through her teeth. She took a deep breath, and shook her friend again. "Come on, Silver – _get up already!"_

Silver Spoon only continued to groan in pain and clutch her stomach, shaking slightly.

William dropped to his knees beside the grey filly in concern, thinking quickly.

"Are you injured?" he asked. "I need answers, Silver – I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong!"

He whipped his head toward the anxious Diamond Tiara, who stared back and forth between him and her friend.

"Sick," Silver Spoon managed to breath, tears streaming down her face. _"Sick…!"_

"What?" Tiara asked, his stare only growing harder.

"What was she like before she fell ill?" William asked swiftly, rolling the crying filly onto her back and checking her pulse. It was erratic, to say the least, and was weak and rapid. She continually clamped her jaws as she whimpered, and her shaking only grew.

"I-I, well-"

"_Now_, Tiara!" William barked.

"I don't know!" Diamond Tiara wailed in despair. "I don't know! We were having lunch, and she just got sick!"

"What was she eating?" William shot back, checking Silver Spoon's pupils to find them dilated and flickering nervously.

"Lunch!" Tiara said immediately. "I mean, Silver found some carrots, I think, but there was only one, and she ate most of it before I could get any."

"Carrots?" William asked curiously, and closely inspected the sides of the grey filly's mouth.

Diamond Tiara pointed to the remaining bit of wild carrot, which had been tossed away; likely by Diamond Tiara when she found out that her friend hadn't planned on sharing.

William snagged it between his fingers, inspecting it quickly; he soon found that a strong and unpleasant odor came from it, and the white flowery tips of the plant made it look incredibly similar to –

"Poison!" William yelped, dropping the root.

"What?!" Diamond Tiara spluttered as Silver Spoon's convulsions grew worse.

"Idiot!" William shouted. "It's not a carrot, it's _wild hemlock!"_

_"What?!"_

"Water!" William fought to remain calm, and snapped his fingers toward the upset Diamond Tiara. "Get me lots of water and Miss Cheerilee – she needs medical attention, now!"

William's heartbeat was so loud that he could hear it in his ears, and he held down the rising fear as Silver Spoon's eyes rolled back into her head and she began to foam at the mouth.

"_Shit_!" he swore under his breath, Diamond Tiara thankfully already on her way back with a thermos in her mouth.

A couple of other fillies and colts followed her, including Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom.

"Here!" William shouted, extending a hand for her to throw him the thermos. She did so immediately, and breathlessly informed him that she'd sent another student off for Miss Cheerilee, but her words only bounced off his ears. William's fumbling fingers wound their way over the cap of the thermos, which he dropped beside himself as he placed his lips over Silver Spoon's and began to administer CPR.

He pushed against her lungs carefully in what he desperately hoped were the correct areas, having failed to have studied any books on equine anatomy; however, he assumed that their own respiratory system was close enough to human's for it to work. Thankfully, she chokingly began to breathe again, and William swiftly tilted her upwards into a sitting position as he thrust the thermos in her face.

"Drink!" he commanded, smelling the apple juice. "_Now_!"

Silver Spoon was shaking to the point where she either wouldn't or couldn't look straight ahead or hold the thermos, so he carefully poured it into her throat. The filly struggled against him for a moment as he heard the shouts of an approaching Cheerilee as more students milled around to watch, arriving just in time to see Silver Spoon choke it all down. She quickly began convulsing again, her breathing stopping up once more.

"What's going on?" Cheerilee asked loudly, pushing past students and straining to get forward. "Who's hurt?"

Without answering, William pried open Silver Spoon's mouth and jammed his finger toward the back of her throat, deliberately aiming to instigate her gag reflex.

Within moments, Silver Spoon was vomiting violently against the ground, several 'ews' eliciting from the students.

"She's been _poisoned_," William explained to the frantic teacher. "She's-!"

Miss Cheerilee grabbed the filly up in her arm, carrying her as quickly as she could.

"Class dismissed!"

0-0-0-0-0

William sat beside the quiet (for once) Diamond Tiara in the hospital chair in the waiting room, staring at his hands. The whitewashed walls gleamed in the light, giving the whole place an excessively sanitary look.

All he wanted was to finish reading the damned book.

Miss Cheerilee had already gone back to contact their parents, as she had done for Silver Spoon's. The filly was expected to recover, but they still weren't allowed in to see her. Her parents remained with her in the hospital's room, and they said nothing to each other as they waited.

Diamond Tiara tugged fretfully at the tips of her mane, looking to be nearly on the verge of tears.

William, on the other hand, was rather torn inside.

"Why me?" he asked finally, looking up at her. She tilted her head slightly, and cleared her throat.

"I dunno," she shrugged, and wiped her eyes with the crook of her elbow. "Just – I-I just didn't think of anypony else to run to."

William pondered this for what felt like forever, the silence reigning over the nearly empty waiting room. Diamond Tiara sniffed occasionally, clearly unhappy.

She stared into her lap as she tried not to cry, tears welling up regardless as she chewed her bottom lip in dismay.

Quietly, and ever so slowly, William sidled in next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

If anything, this only made her cry harder.

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 18 – (Continued)_

I got to see Diamond Tiara absolutely miserable today.

I don't believe that I ever wish to see it again.

That is all.

0-0-0-0-0


	6. Ch6: We Need To Talk About William

0-0-0-0-0

"Are we still not allowed to see our classmate?" William asked quietly, raising a hand to the passing doctor.

Diamond Tiara slept quietly beside him, her head in his lap as they sat on the bench in the waiting room, and the earth pony stallion furrowed his brows as he was joined by Silver Spoon's father from her room.

"You'll have to take that up with the filly's parents," the blonde stallion snorted, glancing over at the portly aging grey stallion that trotted toward William and Diamond Tiara. Her father had a large bagged bundle of bits as a Cutie Mark on his flank, and a stern expression.

"Is this the one?" he asked the doctor quietly, pointing at William.

"See, that's just the thing, Mister Bags," the stallion said as he furrowed his brows and gave William an unexpectedly nasty look. Diamond Tiara sat up and rubbed her eyes at the noise, tiredly looking back and forth between the doctor and Silver Spoon's father. "The teacher said that he was the one who got a good deal of the poison out of her system –"

"Ah, excellent," the aptly named Filled Bags beamed pleasantly at William. "I don't think the missus or I have ever been so worried about Spoony since –"

"Actually," the doctor cut him off with a slightly antagonistic tone to his voice. "This… uh, colt here is a prime suspect."

The resounding round of 'Wait, what?' was reciprocated by William, a stunned Diamond Tiara, and Filled Bags.

"You see," the doctor patted his thinning yellow man. "We found that the poor filly was _poisoned _with _hemlock_. It's not even _native _to this region. Tell me, young colt," the blonde stallion poked William roughly in the chest. "Why _exactly _did you feel it necessary to _poison _your classmate?"

For once in his life, William was utterly at a loss for words.

"It's totally fine," the doctor turned his head and continued conversationally. "_Everypony _makes mistakes now and then. Nopony is going to judge you if you just fess up and admit that what you did was _wrong_, and you're a bad colt for it."

William was completely flabbergasted.

He sputtered something incoherent even to himself, unable to completely comprehend the sheer gall. It was clear that the doctor before him was blatantly manipulating the question, attempting to misdirect his answer into something that he could be convicted with as a confession. However, William simply could not find it in himself than to do much more than stupidly open his mouth and close it a couple of times.

And for once, William was actually glad when Diamond Tiara decided to start talking again.

_"How dare you!"_

Diamond Tiara jammed her hoof in the doctor's face angrily, nearly poking him in the eye.

"What?" he asked innocently, looking to Filled Bags for assistance. "What did I say?"

"How dare – how _dare _– you insinuate that _William _tried to kill my friend!" she shrieked, a wild look in her eyes. "I was a witness! If it hadn't have been for him, Silver Spoon might not have even made it! He's a _hero_!"

"Hey, get your foal under control, would you?" the doctor backed off a step and turned to Filled Bags, who merely shrugged.

"Not my filly," he shook his head. And with that, he turned on the spot to return to his daughter, leaving him to face the wrath of the enraged Diamond Tiara alone.

"You ought to feel ashamed of yourself!" Tiara bellowed furiously, and William momentarily felt a little sorry for the nervous stallion. Almost.

"Look, miss –"

"No, _you _look!" the filly kicked over a chair, glaring daggers at the doctor. "You should be doing your _job _instead of making _accusations_!"

The stallion mumbled something, realizing that nobody was coming to his aid to drag away the angry filly, and eventually blurted a hurried excuse about dentistry before taking off at a swift pace.

"Yeah, that's right!" Diamond Tiara shouted after him down the hall, jumping a little as she did so. "That's what happens when you mess with my _coltfriend_!"

Diamond Tiara huffily reclaimed her seat next to the slightly stunned William, and let out an angry breath to bat away a tuft of mane from her eyes. She sat quietly beside him, warmly sidling next to her 'coltfriend'.

And right then, William came up with what must have been a dozen different excuses for why he honestly couldn't find it in himself to correct her.

0-0-0-0-0

William knocked on the door to Silver Spoon's hospital room, awaiting a reply.

Diamond Tiara had already been escorted home by her own father, and William was pressed for time with the upset Rainbow Dash waiting for him. It had taken a bit of work, but he finally managed to convince her that he wished to spend a couple more minutes with Silver Spoon. Within a couple of moments, the heavy door was pulled slowly open, revealing the figure of Filled Bags. He blinked down at William, apparently not expecting him.

Beyond the stallion, William could spot the quietly sitting form of Silver Spoon, and a bright blue-maned unicorn mare who blew her nose loudly beside her. William supposed that she must have been her mother, and he thought quickly.

"Can we help you?"

"Actually, yes, you can," William stated carefully, giving a little wave to Silver Spoon. She looked away from him and into her lap, where she held her hooves over the hospital sheet. "I was merely wishing to check up on the wellbeing of Miss – of my friend, here."

"Oh, absolutely," Bags nodded kindly, ushering him into the room. "Come on in, son, come on in. I must say, young 'un," he said with a slight accent. "It certainly is fortunate that you got to our daughter in time; I cannot begin to tell you how relieved we were when we found out that she was going to be all right."

Silver Spoon didn't look up, and William took action.

"I know this probably sounds quite a bit presumptuous," William clasped his small hands behind his back, doing his best to look professional. He looked at both of her parents, and cleared his throat. "But if you don't mind, I would like to speak to Miss Spoon in... private."

Silver Spoon actually opened her mouth on this one, but her mother beat her to the punch.

"Of course," she nodded with a sniff, and Filled put a comforting foreleg over her shoulder. "We'll be just outside if anypony needs anything."

William was curious for a moment the speed with which her parents had simply… complied. It was bizarre, to him. Maybe it was because they felt a sense of obligation toward their daughter's savior? He resisted the urge to shake his head as the door snapped quietly shut, leaving the two of them alone.

He didn't have long.

Wordlessly, he walked beside Silver Spoon's bed and stood quietly next to her instead of sitting. She fiddled with her hooves nervously for a few moments, William's cold stare boring a hole in her.

"What?" she asked finally, a slight croak in her throat.

"I'm not going to ask you where," William began in a low tone. "I'm not going to ask when you managed to get it, or even how. I want you to tell me why you did that."

Silver refused to look him in the eyes, and said uncomfortably "I-I don't know what you're –"

_"Liar."_

The filly gave him a hurt look, tugging at her sheets as she stole a gaze back at the closed door.

"I already know everything, Silver," William spoke quietly, but his voice was cold and sharp.

"Then why…?"

"Because I want to hear it from your own mouth."

Silver swallowed hard, unable to look at him any longer.

There was just something wrong with the way he looked at her as she lay before him.

Something wrong with his eyes.

It was what felt like forever as the seconds ticked by and William began to sweat with the fear that either her parents or Rainbow Dash would arrive behind him made him want to rush her, but he bit his tongue. Eventually, the filly took a shuddering breath and spoke.

"Diamond Tiara wasn't – I-I mean… I thought that she didn't want to be my friend anymore."

"So you tried to kill yourself in front of her."

Silver Spoon cringed, glancing again at the door.

It would appear that was something that nobody else knew, then.

She bit back a sob, and held her head in her hooves.

"You-you don't understand," she stuttered. "Diamond is – she's my only friend. Nopony else cares. Nopony else really wants me. I-I don't want – I can't be all alone again," Silver Spoon gushed it all out breathlessly, and when she turned to look at him, he saw that her eyes were blotchy.

William let out an almost silent sigh, his thoughts heavy.

"… That's a little extreme, don't you think?" he asked quietly, keeping his gaze firmly on her own. From the way she looked at him, it only took him a few seconds to figure it out; however, it was still a few seconds too late to prevent her from wordlessly crying again, tears streaming down her muzzle. He didn't think he'd ever felt quite so stupid.

She was _jealous_.

William resisted the urge to rub his own eyes, and tiredly sat down at last on the bed beside her. He inhaled heavily through his nostrils, and said "Miss Spoon. Did you know that Diamond Tiara has spent nearly the _entirety _of her time since your little stunt_ sobbing hysterically?"_

She gave him a look mixed between mild disbelief and guilt, and clutched at her sheets again.

"I-I don't –"

"She was _horrified_," William pressed on. "Absolutely _terrified _when she thought that she'd lost you."

Silver was silent, staring once more into her own lap.

"Cried and _cried _and cried," he continued. "Said that she didn't know how she could _possibly _go on without her _best _friend," William lied nonchalantly.

An odd, half despairing but half hopeful look glinted in the filly's gaze, and she blinked.

"Just something to mull over," he patted her quietly on the leg, standing to leave without another word.

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 19 –_

I had a moment of weakness.

Can I even properly call it that anymore? Can I, in all earnestness, refer to experiencing emotion as a form of weakness?

It makes me wonder.

I should not be having doubts in myself. At least, not when I know that the only logical outcome is to value reason and rationalization over emotion; one must always take care not to become too straightforward. I would not wish to be blinded by my own conviction.

And yet, perhaps, in a way, I already have.

I used to be of the belief that all things had their place, that the greatest joy one could ever find in life was the mundane – after all, the mundane is all a man may reach.

It seems that my every attempt to retain my original sense of reasonable intent is somehow foiled at every turn. Or perhaps I have already begun conforming to this world more than I would care to admit. Regardless, I can still clearly see the balance beneath me, and I must be careful which way I should fall, lest I lose myself completely.

I digress.

For some reason, understanding basic medical procedures and proper application makes me some sort of hero now. I think I actually preferred being referred to as a potential assassin instead.

Honestly. Heroes wear capes, and I refuse to ever touch such a gaudy piece of material.

I managed to finally get a word in edgewise with Miss Silver – and to be honest, I was a tad surprised. To be frank, I really should have suspected it, but when I attempted to interrogate the filly I admit that my mind was… elsewhere.

The hemlock Silver Spoon ingested was not indigenous, nor must it have been easy to come by. Upon inquiring, it would appear that Miss Silver had grown jealous of the attention that her friend was no longer giving her, and devoured the root in order to take her own life right before her eyes.

I do not know how Diamond Tiara would handle this information, nor do I seem to know why it bothers me to keep this secret from her.

The emotional instability of seemingly everyone in this town is ridiculous. Honestly, I think that half of these people would cry at the drop of a hat. Diamond Tiara, while certainly not a weeping tart, would appear to not necessarily be the cold hearted serpent that I originally took her for. In her time of need, she turned to me – me, of all people – but out of personal reason or desperation I am not quite certain.

Either way, I successfully circumvented the death of her crony, which she seems more than grateful for.

In some ways, I suspect that this is partially because even Silver Spoon is not safe from the sharp tongue of Diamond Tiara, but I doubt that they would be so close were she not possibly her only friend. I think that Tiara nearly suffered a complete nervous meltdown, and even went out of her way for my own sake. All because I followed basic procedures and played into her emotional expectations; there when she needed someone reliable, someone to help and listen, a shoulder to cry on.

Someone bound to be with her in her time of need.

A true friend.

I cannot help but marvel that I practically _own _that bitch.

For the life of me, I cannot comprehend the mysteriously overwhelming sense of self-loathing and guilt for simply writing that sentence. Maybe I am falling ill again.

0-0-0-0-0

The skies overhead that day were cloudy and grey, swollen and pregnant with the possibility of downpour. They curved and twisted across the sky lazily, bloated and dark enough to cast a dreary shadow across Ponyville. The occasional rumble of thunder and peal of pale lightning streaking across the sky belied of a thick storm brewing.

That large oak tree had almost become a staple in William's life by this point.

He reclined against it quietly, joined by Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo…

And none other than Diamond Tiara, of course.

Perhaps even more disturbingly out of the ordinary was that she sat without saying a single word, Scootaloo on William's opposite side.

And try as he might, he could not seem to lose himself in his book with as much tension as there was in the air.

"So…" Apple Bloom tried to break the awkward tension. "I, uh… I hear Silver Spoon's gonna be okay."

"Oh, good," Scootaloo glared distantly at the filly across from William. "Then maybe Diamond Tiara can go back to her."

"Maybe I _will_," Tiara snapped, not budging an inch. "We would have gone to see her today anyway. Isn't that _right_, Willy?"

William's book slammed shut with a bang! and he ever so quietly said "My _name _is _William_."

Apple Bloom let out a heavy sigh, Sweetie Belle sharing her pain. It appeared that it was going to be one of those days.

"Yeah, Tiara!" Scootaloo scowled at her. "How come you don't back off and get somepony's name right for once?"

"Come on, gals," Apple Bloom said in exasperation. "Oh, uh… and Will," she nodded to the silently fuming boy.

"My name is _William_."

"Maybe I'll call my new coltfriend whatever I want," Diamond Tiara stood huffily, butting heads with the frustrated pegasus.

"What did you just say?" Scootaloo pushed against her harder, beginning to knock her off balance.

"I'm not your 'coltfriend', Miss Tiara."

Diamond Tiara froze for a moment, a light pink color rising in her cheeks.

"W-what?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Ha!" Scootaloo crowed victoriously. "About time, something that Diamond Tiara can't have!"

"I don't like you either, Miss Scootaloo."

The pegasus gave nearly the exact same reaction that the hurt looking Diamond Tiara did, oddly enough.

Silently, he stuffed his book into his bag and began walking away, leaving the school grounds.

"H-hey! Hang on!" Scootaloo darted after him, although she was the only one to do so. "Where are you _going_?"

"Home," he said without looking back, rearranging the saddlebag on his shoulder.

"Wait!" she called after him, picking up her pace until she had to gallop just to catch up. "_Hold up_, Will!"

"My _name _is _William_!" he whirled on the spot, the most furious look she'd ever seen on his face. Scootaloo actually faltered for a moment beneath his enraged gaze. After a moment, he took a deep breath and wiped a hand across his face, depriving it of emotion once more as he continued along his way.

"Look, I'm sorry," Scootaloo said uncomfortably, walking beside him as he kept up his brisk pace. "I'll call you William from now on."

"It's not _about _that." William stated angrily, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I am not an _object _to be _squabbled _over."

"That's your problem?" Scootaloo scoffed, but frowned when she saw his bitter, hard expression. "Look, William, I-I'm sorry I was fighting with Diamond Tiara again, but-_but…!"_

"No buts," William held his hand aloft without looking back. "Goodbye, Miss Scootaloo."

He left her on that note, and she stood forlornly in the middle of the road as the first few pitters of rain began to slap against the ground.

"… You can call me 'Scoots'," she said softly, even though he was already long gone.

0-0-0-0-0

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight knocked hard on the wooden front door of her friend's ground home, and Fluttershy stood uncomfortably next to her as a few drops of rain began to plink down from the sky. "Rainbow Dash, we know you're home. Weather patrol shifts ended two hours ago."

The pair heard a slight shuffling, a lock being lifted as an untidy Rainbow Dash pried open the door, her tussled mane poking over her eyes as she blearily looked out at her friends.

"Yeah?" she asked. "What do you want?"

Twilight cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Do you mind if we come in?" the unicorn gestured toward the rain, having deliberately 'forgotten' their umbrellas. "It is kind of getting wet out here."

After a moment, Dash nodded wearily and pried the door open a little wider.

"I guess," her lips tugged downward, and Twilight and Fluttershy slipped quietly inside out of the cool weather.

"Ah, good," Twilight cleared her throat once more, locking the door behind her telekinetically. "While we're here, we need to talk."

Rainbow Dash immediately became alert and suspicious, eyes darting back and forth between the pegasus and the unicorn.

"What's going on?" her eyes narrowed, and Fluttershy rubbed her foreleg uneasily.

Twilight let out a deep breath, and said "We need to talk about William."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, relaxing slightly as she made herself comfortable on the sofa. Twilight and Fluttershy remained standing, however.

"Yeah?" Dash asked quietly. "What _about _him?"

"Well, um," Fluttershy began awkwardly. "It's-it's, um, it's about William…"

"Yes, thank you Fluttershy," Twilight deadpanned. "We have established this."

The pegasus chewed her lip and hid behind her pink curtain of mane.

"Sorry, Fluttershy," Twilight kept back a quiet groan. "Go on ahead."

"Oh, no," she insisted, her voice becoming even more faint as she failed to make herself seem as small as possible. "It's fine."

Twilight wrinkled her nose with a frown, turning her attention back to Rainbow Dash.

"We need to talk about William," Twilight repeated herself as Rainbow Dash stood.

"Thank you Twilight," she replied sarcastically. "We have established this."

Twilight ground her teeth, and said "I'm serious, Dash. This is getting out of hoof."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rainbow Dash's scowl deepened.

"Well, um, Dashie, you-you see," Fluttershy struggled. "I mean, some of us are a little worried that you might not have William's best interests at heart, exactly…" she said uncomfortably, her voice growing so soft that she was barely heard.

"Excuse me?!" she belted angrily, her wings ruffling.

"Think of it this way," Twilight intervened quickly. "Everypony is just a little worried about you – and William – what with your… _behavior _lately."

"There is _nothing _wrong with my behavior!" Rainbow Dash insisted, stamping a hoof loudly against the floorboards.

"Listen, Dash," Twilight said with difficulty. "We're just worried about you and-and we aren't quite sure that you're really –"

"Don't you _dare_!" Dash jabbed Twilight in the chest huffily, her wings flaring to their full extent. "I am just fine on my own!"

Twilight carefully put her hoof down, giving the pegasus a stern look.

"Not according to Pinkie Pie, you're not," Twilight's voice was sad, but her firm look remained. She tried to hold her friend's hoof, and looked her in the eye.

"Dash, we think that there's something wrong with William."

"There is _nothing _wrong with my son!" she shouted, slapping her hoof away furiously.

"_You _were the one who said it in the first place!" Twilight's eyes narrowed.

"And I _changed _my mind!" Rainbow Dash bellowed, and Fluttershy suddenly regretted coming with Twilight.

"Will you just listen to me?" Twilight snapped.

"Not so long as you stand there and insult me and my colt!"

"He is _not _your colt!" she shouted back, raising her own voice to match Dash's. "He's adopted! By _Discord_!"

"HE IS _MY _COLT AND I'LL DO _WHATEVER I WANT_ WITH HIM!"

"Say that again."

Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash turned toward Fluttershy, who stood before them miserably.

"Listen to yourself, Dashie," Fluttershy said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Just take a moment and really listen to yourself."

Rainbow Dash blinked, the anger gradually melting from her features as her words drifted back into her own ears. It hardly sounded like something she would say at all, yet say it she did.

"… Oh, Celestia," she whimpered, sitting down on the sofa hard.

Fluttershy was at her side in a moment, quietly putting a wing over her.

Rainbow Dash pulled at her mane, and her voice began to crack.

"I didn't _want _this," she moaned. "I didn't _ask _for _any _of this!"

"I know Dashie," Fluttershy pulled her in comfortingly. "I know."

"No," she pushed her away. "You _don't._ You don't have _any _idea what it's like."

"I can imagine."

_"I didn't want a son! I didn't ASK for this! I DIDN'T WANT FOALS!" _Rainbow Dash finally broke down, her wings clamped tightly to her sides. "I-I didn't. I know he's not really mine."

Twilight carefully sat down opposite her, and let out a long, drawn out sigh of discomfort.

"I know, Dash." Twilight nodded quietly. "It wasn't fair of Discord."

"… Maybe not," Rainbow Dash wiped her eyes, thankful for the tissue that Fluttershy kindly passed to her. "Actually, no. _Definitely _not," she said with a mirthless half-laugh. "But that doesn't change the fact that I made a commitment."

"But-" Twilight began.

"I still love him, Twi," Dash choked. "Just because he's not really mine doesn't mean I can't _treat _him like he is."

Twilight pondered this for a moment, noting as the rain came down heavier outside.

"… I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash hung her head quietly, sniffling. "I-I know I've been a little… heh. I've been a little crazy lately."

"Oh, very much so," Fluttershy agreed with her enthusiastically and nodded, until Twilight shot her a look and she clenched her jaw shut.

"Everything's going to work out, Rainbow Dash," Twilight reassured her.

"How can you be so sure?" Dash bitterly looked up as Fluttershy passed her another tissue.

"Because," she nodded matter-of-factly. "We're your friends. And we'll be here for you – and William too, by extension – no matter what."

Rainbow Dash snorted miserably.

"Tell you what," she said dryly. "Be a pal and drag that _good for nothing_ Discord's ass back here and make him take responsibility. That'll make me feel a whole lot better."

0-0-0-0-0

William's nostrils flared as he approached the house, looking forward to drying himself from the rain. Simultaneously, his heart began to race as he reached for the door. He couldn't really tell if it were enthusiasm or dread, to be truthful.

He was nearly at the door when he heard the voices, accompanied by an odd sense of déjà vu.

_"I didn't want a son! I didn't ASK for this! I DIDN'T WANT FOALS!"_

He froze at the door, his fingers barely slipping around the handle.

The sound of Rainbow Dash's angry and mournful scream was clearly heard through the falling rain, and he paused. It felt like his fingers had suddenly gone numb.

"… I see."

William wordlessly left without looking back, trailing over puddles like a ghost. The cold rain blasted him from above in sheets, but he couldn't really feel it anymore anyway. His mind was elsewhere.

He walked for a long while, until he was completely drenched and sopping wet. The rain only continued to come down harder, peals of lightning splintering across the sky as the thunderstorm picked up strength. Had he been anywhere near the schoolhouse, he would have seen the old oak tree that he and the others had spent so much time beneath split violently in two with the force of a lightning strike, cleaving the worn oak cleanly down the middle.

William stumbled through the cold rain, trudging onward until he finally arrived at his destination.

His hands thrummed across the wood a couple of times, and eventually, the door to Sugarcube Corner was tugged open.

A rather surprised Pinkie Pie stood in the doorway, gaping at the shivering boy.

"Hullo, Miss Pie," William stuttered miserably through his chattering teeth, his hands tucked beneath his armpits for warmth. "Can I please stay with you for a while?"

0-0-0-0-0

William wasn't sure whether he had simply become so comfortable wrapped in the blankets in the living area of Sugarcube Corner or if Pinkie Pie had slipped him something in the hot tea, but he slept peacefully for the first time in a long while.

He twitched quietly from his dreams, the warm wing of Rainbow Dash yawning over his side when he awoke.

"Hey, Squirt." Rainbow Dash said quietly, her scratchy voice sounding a little hoarse.

William slowly sat up beside her and rubbed his eyes with his small fists, blinking slowly; and for once, Rainbow Dash noted, without the constant furrowed brow and focused appearance, he actually looked his own age.

"… Good evening, Mother." William said quietly, his voice dry. He noted that the blankets were still wrapped firmly around him, the dark of Sugarcube Corner interrupted only by a couple of candles in an adjacent room.

"Morning," she corrected him, nodding toward the window where the last vestiges of the previous night's rain dripped down the sill.

William was silent for a while, thinking.

"… I was really worried about you when you didn't come home from school," Dash pulled him into a close hug, and he could tell that she had been crying. "Thank Celestia for Pinkie Pie."

"… I'm sorry." William hung his head quietly. "I didn't mean – I-I mean, I thought –"

William suddenly found it difficult to speak, as it felt like a golf ball had lodged itself in his throat.

"… I thought that you didn't want me anymore."

"Oh, _Will_."

_"My n-"_

She cut him off, pulling him as close to her breast as she could.

"Now, you listen to me," Rainbow Dash said softly, holding him. "No matter what happens, I could never throw you away like that. I just want you to know that I love you, William."

"Mrf frmm rum frm."

"… William?"

"… Mour smovvring me, Muvver."

He pulled away from her tight embrace, his face bright red.

"Sorry." Dash shook her head sadly.

"I _said_," William cleared his throat a little, carefully wrapping his arms around the pegasus's neck. "I love you too, Mother."

"... _Awesome_."

0-0-0-0-0


	7. Ch7: Said One Thing And Meant My Mother

0-0-0-0-0

"You _left _school grounds."

"Yes, but –"

"You _left school grounds_," Cheerilee sat disbelievingly behind her desk, looking over her paperwork at William.

He continuously attributed it to the heat, but for some reason he found that every time that she gave him that pointed, searching glance it made him sweat uncomfortably.

It didn't help that the rest of the classroom was completely empty aside from Diamond Tiara.

Who was sitting as far away from him as possible, and even though he couldn't see her behind him, William was almost positive that she was glaring a hole in the back of his head. It was a feeling that made him want to scratch his head, awkwardly.

"Really, William," Cheerilee continued, steepling her hooves together. "I'm surprised at you. Up until this point, perfect attendance, astounding grades… I'm a little – actually, no, I am _very _– disappointed in you, Mister Klaskovsky."

He didn't know how she did it, whether it was merely because he hadn't heard her speak with this kind of tone before or if maybe he was only imagining things, but the mare made him highly uncomfortable. Almost as if he should be ashamed of his actions, or something equally strange. In short, she was speaking to him and treating him as if he were a child.

And William utterly despised her for it.

The fact that he was still so flustered didn't seem to help matters along at all, and it was all he could do to remain silent.

"… Well?" she asked eventually, obviously expecting feedback as she looked at them both. "I had _high _hopes for you foals – Mister Rich even tells me that you two were getting along _fine_. And from what I gather, there's a falling out shortly afterwards, but I'll get to _that _in a minute. Really, William, do you have _any _idea just what you put everypony through when you went missing all day?"

How in the blue blazes could this mare manage to make him feel so unexpectedly _guilty_?

William cleared his throat uneasily, interlocking his fingers and forcing himself to meet his teacher's gaze.

"Yes, Miss Cheerilee. I understand that my behavior was… excessive and childish," he said with an obvious layer of disdain. "And I apologize for both my actions and their results, which I did not take into account."

The mare gave him an odd look for a moment, and quietly let out a long breath before turning her head back and rubbing her temples.

"I suppose that's all I can expect for the moment," Cheerilee sighed. "Although I am glad to see that you're at least mature enough to accept responsibility. Speaking of which…" she turned her head toward the silently fuming Diamond Tiara, sitting with her forehooves crossed grumpily at the back of the room.

"You two were getting along _great _one day, and now… _this_," Cheerilee waved her hoof. "Care to explain what the problem is _now_?"

Tiara's already irritable look darkened.

"There _is _no problem, Miss Cheerilee," Diamond Tiara quietly seethed. "Everything is just _peachy_."

"Uh huh." Cheerilee deadpanned. "You know, I think I'm _seriously _confused as to see how you two might not get along. After all, you're nearly _identical_."

The filly snorted loudly, and William only cocked an eyebrow.

"It's true," the schoolteacher shrugged, leaning back in her chair behind her desk. She cast a single glance over at the clock above the door, evidently unworried by the amount of time that she had kept them after class. "You're both bright enough young foals in your own rights, both… overly confident," Cheerilee stated carefully. "And for reasons that I cannot ascertain, you both seem to think that I'm _stupid_.

"Honestly," Cheerilee shook her head. "I can't think of a _single _reason that you two can't can the drama for a couple of days aside from maybe_ really wanting summer school._ And believe me, that's not going to be fun for _anypony _involved."

"I apologize, Miss Cheerilee," William bowed his head quietly. "I won't do it again."

"That's good to hear," she nodded with a small smile. "But you have to know that nopony thinks any _less _of you for your decision; it's nothing to run _away _for. That's just plain _silly_."

William couldn't keep the confusion off of his features.

"Sorry?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slowly.

"Oh, I already know all about you and your mom," Cheerilee tittered good naturedly.

_"Lies! It's all lies!"_

William thought for a moment that his heart rate was loud enough to hear from another room, and the sweating suddenly became a much larger problem than it was before.

Cheerilee simply stood for a moment, and blinked.

"O… _kay_…?" she said slowly. "William, just because you're _adopted _doesn't mean you should feel _ashamed _of that," Cheerilee shook her head.

William felt a heat rising in his cheeks, and he cleared his throat loudly without looking up.

"Right. Yes. Yes, right," he blathered pointlessly. "Absolutely. _Right_. I'll take that into-into consideration."

Cheerilee let out another near silent breath, resisting the urge to allow it to grow into a full exasperated groan. She eyed the clock one last time, and gave a final internal shrug.

"Go on, you two," Cheerilee shook her head hopelessly. "I want the both of you to _get along_, and if you have a problem, just _come to me_ about it."

Both Diamond Tiara and William sat silently for a moment.

"… Well?" Cheerilee waved toward the door. "Go on! Skedaddle already!" she chortled. "I won't hold you two up any longer; have a nice rest of the day, behave yourselves, go kiss and make up."

For some odd reason, this made William suddenly begin clearing his throat loudly again as he tried to leave as quickly as possible, the agitated filly close behind.

_"And turn in your homework this time, Diamond Tiara!" _she called after her as the door swung shut.

Cheerilee was left in blissful silence for a while, and she released her umpteenth sigh for the day as she relaxed behind her desk. The young ones were always such a hoofful. However, she was a teacher for a reason; and if there was one thing that Cheerilee knew inside and out it was that you couldn't force somepony to learn something.

Similarly, regardless of signs of maturity that her students might occasionally display, one could not force somepony to just grow up. They needed the space, the time, the material and the guidance to do so; much like flowers, they needed proper care and required lots of patience.

You can lead a horse to homework, but you can't make her remember to do it.

Cheerilee snorted quietly to herself, filing away her paperwork for the day.

0-0-0-0-0

William stepped into the bright sunlight with a sense of gratitude for both the fresh air and freedom from the stuffy classroom. That, and the relief of finally being freed from the watchful gaze of Miss Cheerilee allowed him to breathe a little easier.

He couldn't spot Sweetie, Apple Bloom, or Scootaloo anywhere; or anyone else, for that matter. He had been half hoping that they would have waited around a while longer, but it was a bit selfish to think that they didn't have their own lives and schedules.

Diamond Tiara huffed angrily behind him as he shuffled along his way.

"… Well?" she asked as he was walking away.

William paused.

"Aren't you going to walk me home?"

He only shrugged.

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, and walked away in her own direction. She stomped forward for a while, head down and thoughts dark and heavy. The occasional looming tree along the way cast interspersing shadows, patches of light and dark thrown out along the road like so many bits of quilt.

It took her a few minutes to realize that William was walking silently beside her, plodding along without saying a word. They walked in silence for a while, a light breeze trickling over the tips of the long grass alongside the road. It felt oddly empty, in part from the lack of chirping and singing birds. William thought (or hoped) that Diamond Tiara would merely remain silent and surly, but she found it in herself to speak again before long.

"… I think she's right."

"Hm?" William blinked, having been lost in thoughts of his own as they gradually rounded a bend in the road.

"Miss Cheerilee," Diamond Tiara pronounced slowly. "I think she's right, too. We _should _be getting along."

"I suppose," he answered distractedly, walking around a fallen branch. "I should prefer to avoid the aspect of a heavily scheduled summer as well."

Diamond Tiara noiselessly shook her head, and stood in front of him. He ground to a halt, the filly's large, brilliant blue eyes meeting his small almond ones.

"I don't think that's all Miss Cheerilee's right about." She insisted, a light pink tinge beginning to creep into her cheeks. "We should."

"I… agree…?" William stated cautiously, confused.

"She really is right, you know," Tiara said with bated breath, slowly cornering the tentative William against a roadside tree, placing one hoof on either side of him until she was mere inches away from his face. "We should kiss and make up."

And when he found that her lips had suddenly made passionate contact with his own, William's face lit up like a _Christmas tree._

He blinked, freezing in place, uncertain of how to react. For as much as he could have sworn that his heartbeat was loud enough to hear from another room before, he was almost certain that it could be heard from another _town _over by now.

And Diamond Tiara probably knew it, from as closely as she was pressed to his chest.

Within moments, she broke away and William instantly blurted "Oh gee look at the time well this is close enough to home I guess – I mean your home, not my home – not that I don't like your home, lovely – I mean, your home is lovely, I don't mean to call you lovely – I mean, I don't mean that you're _not _lovely, you _are _lovely – I mean, your _home _is – not implying that my own home isn't, that's where I was going – I mean, I wasn't taking you to _my _home, I was taking me to my home – I mean, my home is not your home, it's the other way – I mean,_ I have to go!"_

And with that, he took off with a brisk pace, and William could almost _swear _that his ears had spontaneously combusted from the sheer heat that radiated from them.

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 20 – _

Oh, where do I even _start_.

I believe that I may have caught another cold, as I do feel a bit feverish. I shall hunt for a thermometer shortly.

The situation with Miss Dash is a bit awkward. I understand that she did not necessarily expect me to be in her life; and she has explained her situation a bit more thoroughly to me, but still so vague. From what I can gather, she feels cheated by Discord for leaving me with her.

I don't even know where to _begin _with that one alone.

So, I shan't.

Mother _clearly _has existing emotional baggage pertaining to Discord, and it unsettles me just how much of an impact I have had on her life. It leaves me feeling somewhat responsible, to tell the truth. As if I have somehow personally managed to upset her and somehow make her… unhappy. That maybe her current conduct and bitterness is my fault.

The knowledge claws at me.

I know that Miss Pie possesses extensive knowledge on Miss Dash – at least, compared to what I know of her. Miss Pie seems to hold her in extremely high regard, and whereas I do find her a bit too much… well, just a bit too much, really. Miss Pie is hyperactive at times, and easily distracted, but I must admit that I honestly enjoy her company, to a degree. Whereas the majority of the others that I have met since my stay here have been cordial and agreeable enough, Miss Pie is one of the few that appear to be completely wholehearted in her every claim and action.

Really, I dare believe that I say it, but I find her to be a little inspiring.

I am not quite certain as to what makes her seem so trustworthy, but I find that I rather like her. It is difficult to be around Miss Pie and not slowly become contaminated by her seemingly _radiated _good mood. She seems honest enough, and her every action is just so full of motion, so energetic that sometimes I can hardly believe that she's real. It is not that she is just a very happy person, it seems that she sincerely wishes to share that in any way that she can. To be frank, the woman is nearly the extreme of sentimentality – and perhaps that is not such a bad thing.

She has not spoken much of Miss Dash that isn't either praise or… I could be misreading signs, but… longing? Maybe? But then again, I have not necessarily pried, nor have I delved into the subject of Discord as much as I should like. Perhaps I should rectify this.

Silver Spoon is expected back at school within the next day or so, and I have not drawn conclusions on that particular predicament either. It is obvious that she is very close to Diamond Tiara…

The most difficult part to write.

I cannot even bring myself to _think _of that name without a host of difficulties.

Sometimes, I _swear_, I think the girl is trying to kill me.

Perhaps she was trying to get retribution for my initial deed to dissuade her from instigating arguments? I should like to believe so, but there was just something too… intimate about that contact to imply that she were merely attempting to obtain a form of vengeance. And another thing, if she were, why do it when we were alone instead of surrounded by other students as she was the first time?

I don't know. It just felt too _zealous _to be a form of revenge…

Or maybe she was planning on ensuring some kind of comeuppance, and she knows that I'm onto her.

She does!

She _knows _it, I can _feel _it. That unbearable, smug, arrogant, conceited, manipulative _charlatan_!

Ooh, that girl _infuriates _me! That unscrupulous wench enrages me to the point that I can barely _think straight!_

Maybe I am looking too deeply into this and overanalyzing. I think I may be a tiny bit frightened by the idea that she really _isn't _the calculative, coldblooded cactus part of me wishes she were; it would make loathing her _so _much simpler. If that were really what I wanted to do, I think. Something about her actions just seemed so… _genuine_.

I don't know _what _to think. And it burns me intensely that I do not have the answer; I _always _have the answer. I don't know how I am supposed to react in this kind of situation.

I'm so _confused_.

0-0-0-0-0

Rainbow Dash poked her head in through William's bedroom doorway to find him slightly preoccupied. The manner in which she found him 'slightly preoccupied' consisted of slowly but repeatedly thumping a black hardback journal across his forehead as he sat on the edge of his small bed.

_Tunk._

_Tunk._

_Tunk._

"Hey, Squirt," Dash grinned. "Dinner's almost ready. You comin', or what?"

… _Tunk_.

"Yes, Mother," William replied quietly, a little muffled behind his book. "I shall be along presently."

"Sweet," she rambled as he walked alongside her, making the hallway feel a little more cramped. "I think Fluttershy might have been right about the whole 'different diet' thing," Rainbow Dash said to him absentmindedly. "Maybe start to get a bit of color into those tight little cheeks."

"What?"

"Nothing," Rainbow Dash laughed, passing him a couple of plates for the table. After a moment, she frowned and stuck out her tongue. "I just can't tell how you can stand the taste of something like _fish_. I mean, _blech_," she made a disgusted face and shook her head. "Guess I just prefer getting my protein in other ways, if you know what I mean."

William was pensive for a moment, mildly befuddled.

"… Soy and bean products?"

"Forget I said that," Dash said quickly. "How'd your day at school go, Squirt?"

_Tunk._

"Kinda hard to eat with your forehead on the table, Squirt."

0-0-0-0-0

William stared up at the ceiling just as he had all night, his thoughts dark and heavy.

In almost complete contrast, the morning sun filtering in through the bedroom window was soft and light, ever so slowly beginning to trickle in with a warm glow. William let out a little sigh and for a while only listened to the sound of the quiet breathing of the pegasus beside him.

After a while, he eventually nudged her in the side softly with the flat of his hands.

"Miss Dash."

"Yesh Mashter?" she instantly forced one eye open blearily, jerking suddenly.

"What?"

Rainbow Dash immediately sat up, shaking her head furiously and pulling William in close with her wings.

"Nothing," she insisted almost noiselessly, her scratchy voice a little weak from just awakening. "Nothing, hon. Just a bad-a bad dream. You okay?"

"Yes. Fine." William replied quietly, pulling away from her and slipping out of bed. "I merely wished to inform you that I shall be… running personal errands before school."

It wasn't _technically _a lie.

"I won't be long," William said quickly. "I actually wished to go... thank Miss Pie personally."

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again shortly afterwards. She slowly nodded, and tugged at the blankets a bit fitfully.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked quietly.

"No!" William said swiftly. "I mean, that won't be necessary, Mother. As-as I said, I won't be long."

Rainbow Dash silently nodded again, casting a forlorn gaze out the window over at the rising sun. It felt like no time at all before she was left lying all alone again, still staring out the window and watching the sun creep up over the horizon. It was something that she hardly realized that she missed, something comforting and reliable that rose every day like clockwork.

After a while of sifting through old memories, Dash quietly slipped out the door to leave the house completely empty.

It had been far too long since she'd watched something like a sunrise.

0-0-0-0-0

The rapping on the door of Sugarcube Corner sounded much louder to William that he thought it would, and he instinctively cringed from the noise.

The stallion that he vaguely recognized as Mister Cake answered the door around half a minute afterwards, smudges of flour coating his smock. He was surprisingly scrawny for a stallion, with a bit of extra-long stubble on his chin that gave him an oddly scruffy appearance beneath his brim of bright orange mane.

"Hullo?" he glanced downward, spotting the boy. "Oh, hey! Uh…" Mister Cake paused for a moment, hoof halfway in the air as if he were just on the tip of remembering.

"William."

"_Right_," his hoof clopped back against the ground. "William, knew it, couldn't quite think of it. We don't open for a couple more hours –"

"Actually, I was wondering if-if Miss Pie might happen to be _available_…" William said slowly clasping his hands together in front of him.

"Oh, Pinkie," the stallion rolled his eyes with a chuckle and friendly grin. "Yep, she's already up and about. Oy, Pinkie!" he turned on the spot, calling into the store and leading William inside. "You have visi-"

He didn't manage to finish before (a slightly flour dusted) Pinkie Pie skidded around the corner from another room, zipping toward him as quickly as possible before coming to a sudden halt and performing a military style salute.

"Yes_sir_, Mister Cake!" Pinkie said with a goofy smile. "Hiya, Willy!"

"My name is William."

She promptly bumped the tip of his nose with her own, cheerfully exclaiming "_Boop_!" before giving a snort and giggle.

"Carrot, would you mind giving me a hoof with this?" William heard the sound of another mare as he attempted to wiped the traces of flour from his nose with his sleeve, and Pinkie Pie threw the slightly amused stallion a sheepish grin before he waved her off. She led William through Sugarcube Corner to a small dining area through a little archway, separate from the rest of the place.

"What's up, Doc?" Pinkie asked cheerfully as William silently made himself comfortable at the table, and Pinkie began calmly pouring herself a cup of morning coffee. Which seemed significantly odd to William, considering just how hyper she seemed already. She offered him a cup as well, which he politely declined.

Just in case she really _had _slipped him something the last time, and it wasn't just because he was sleep deprived and cried himself to sleep.

After a few moments of quiet contemplation, William silently accepted the cup of hot brew and held it between his hands, allowing the heat to seep into his fingers.

"Yo," Pinkie said serenely as she sat across from him and gave him a warm smile after cleaning herself up a bit. "What's up, Big Will?"

"My name is _William _–"

"Oh, _pshaw_," Pinkie waved her hoof at him and gave him another silly looking grin. "You _always _say that."

Pinkie pressed her cheeks together with her hooves until she looked like an enormous pink blowfish.

"Awwaysh sho _sherioush_," she said with a completely deadpan expression, her head dropping another few inches with every word. "Awwaysh sho _grumpy _and _frumpy _sho _shtuff_."

Her chin finally hit the table with a loud _thunk!_ with the clink of the china, and she continued to make fish-like faces at him, eyes wide.

"_Shewioushwy_, Wiww – you gotta _wighten up_ nao an' tphfff_ffffffthn."_

Perhaps it was because she spoke without ever once dropping eye contact or with such a completely serious look on her face as she lowered her voice into a complete raspberry, but William suddenly found himself struggling with every fiber of his being against the urge to giggle stupidly at her display. He forced himself to keep a straight face, furrowing his brows and clearing his throat before speaking.

"Actuawwy –"

"_HAHAHA HA!"_

Pinkie burst out laughing hysterically, rolling out of her chair and onto the floor. She took in great, deep breaths as tears strained down her muzzle from the sheer hilarity of his slipup, and William even allowed himself an embarrassed (albeit reluctant) snicker or two. She let out enormous peals of laughter, loud enough that even the mare that William had heard earlier poked her head in momentarily before trotting off.

Eventually, Pinkie Pie picked herself up from the floor, and wiped a few tears from her eyes as she fought to reign in her giggles.

She coughed weakly into her hoof, goofy but infectiously cheerful smile still pulling at her face.

"Sorry," William bowed his head slightly. "I hope you'll forgive the parapraxis."

"Nah," Pinkie waved him off nonchalantly. "Everypony has a Freudian slip now and then."

William cleared his throat uncomfortably, and fiddled with his thumbs as he thought of the best method to convey his ideas. He was silent for a while, and only stared at his hands. William eventually became aware that Pinkie was watching him closely, and he quickly stopped.

"… You okay?" Pinkie Pie asked softly, and for a moment, William contemplated even more furiously before dismissing the idea in favor of addressing something different.

"Again, I do apologize about the early time of my arrival…" William said awkwardly.

"You keep saying _that_, too," Pinkie grinned and raised her hooves to her cheeks, poised to make funny faces again. Seeing the almost mournful expression on his face, she carefully put her hooves back down and said "It's okay, Will. You can talk to your Auntie Pinkie Pie about anything. Okie dokie lokie?"

He opened his mouth to retort, but slowly closed it again before nodding.

"Oki- yes." William said simply. "Miss Pie, the reason that I interrupted you so early is because I wish to receive what I hope will be an unbiased and truthful reply, as I am not certain that-that Miss Dash would feel so obligated to do so about the… topic."

"You sure are being _awfully _vague," Pinkie said conversationally, taking a sip of her sugar-laden coffee.

"I wish to know more about my father."

Pinkie Pie did a _spit-take._

Coffee dribbled down her chin as she stared at him, and William bore witness to one of the _strangest _things he had seen all week.

Pinkie Pie's bright blue eyes narrowed to pinpricks, and color _immediately _drained from her face. She looked utterly mortified at William's statement, not even breathing anymore. Her normally bouncy and springy mane sort of began to… _deflate_, until it fell flat against her and lost much, if not all of its previous sheen.

In short, the sudden transformation that had apparently come over her _scared William senseless._

For the longest time, Pinkie Pie only sat in front of William in dead silence as the last of the coffee dripped from her chin, quietly plinking against the checkered tablecloth.

"I-I'm sorry," William stuttered eventually. "I didn't know that asking about Discord was some form of taboo. I am _terribly _sorry for upsetting you, Miss Pie," he apologized profusely.

"Discord?" Pinkie let out a shuddering breath at last, blinking as life slowly returned to her features. She quickly cleaned up her mess, and gave herself a thorough shake.

"I-I didn't know – I mean, I'm so sorry – I'll just g-"

"No, no, Will," Pinkie wrapped a hoof around his shoulder, giving him a tight hug. "It's okay, it's _okay_. It's nopony's fault, you don't have _anything _to be _sorry _for." She chortled feebly, kindly patting the nervous boy on the head. "It's just – well, you see – _wow_, this is – why are you asking me about Discord again?"

William noted the level of stress in Pinkie's voice, and that she was continuously running a hoof over his head to distract herself.

"Because I trusted that you would give me an honest answer about what Discord is like, as I have not necessarily spent much time with my adoptive father and I wish to know more about the 'God of Chaos', as he deems himself," William answered truthfully.

"… Well," Pinkie Pie said finally. "He's… okay, I guess."

William was obviously unsatisfied by this answer, and Pinkie let out a pitiful chuckle.

"Discord is kind of – well, actually _completely _– crazy, but he's really not so bad. Dashie seems to think that he's okay, and even Fluttershy says that he can be really sweet sometimes."

"Sweet?" William asked.

"Yeah, but mostly goofy. Totally loco in the coco," she swirled her hoof around her head, and William watched as a couple of springs of her mane slowly began rising into the air as she did so. It was a little creepy and morbidly fascinating simultaneously. "But he's alright once you get to know him, I suppose. I really wish we'd have a few more spells of chocolate milk like last time…"

Pinkie scratched her chin distractedly, lost in thought for a moment before quickly patting him on the shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Pinkie asked slyly, and he nodded slowly. She guided him out of Sugarcube Corner, and he heard her singing after she had closed the door behind him.

_" Chocolate rain – some stay dry, and some feel the pain! Chocolate ra~in…! "_

William shook his head, frowning as he walked away even more confused than before.

A thought occurred to him much later, and he was really surprised that it hadn't come to him immediately.

How in the _hell _did Pinkie Pie know who Sigmund Freud was?

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

A few things that I would like to say about this story.

I have been specifically informed by a couple of people who were kind enough to inform me the reasoning behind their like/dislike of the story, and one that cropped up multiple times caught my attention.

Apparently, I can only write a character well for a short amount of time, and then they devolve into a complete mishmash of out of character behaviors.

Firstly, one of my main PROBLEMS with so many stories is that they seriously downplay the intelligence and personalities of the characters involved. Just because I don't make Twilight a bibliophilic hermit, or Applejack a workaholic, or Pinkie Pie a sugar obsessed manic-depressive doesn't mean that 'I'm doing it wrong'.

Because they AREN'T just a bundle of stereotypes, they aren't just a collection of quotes and mental instabilities. They are characters in their own rights, with their own thoughts, and feelings, expressions and emotions, their own ideologies and beliefs, their own hopes and fears and comforts and preferences and ideas and IT DOES NOT MAKE ME A 'BAD' AUTHOR JUST BECAUSE I WRITE THEM DIFFERENTLY, GODDAMMIT.

To do that with a character - any character of any story, on that note - to deliberately downplay the characters is both an insult to the story and a slap in the face to the readers. It's an insult to the intelligence of the readers, and I refuse to do it simply for the sake of making YOU personally feel like the story would be written better because of it. I'm all for constructive criticism - or, hell, sometimes just plain criticism - but to insinuate that the only way a reader will understand a character is by making them stupidly simple and one dimensional is just something that I point blank am not going to love and tolerate.


	8. Ch8: Zachariah Rex

0-0-0-0-0

For reasons that he could not quite ascertain, William found himself drifting away from the school grounds before he even reached them.

He slowly wound away from the ringing of the bell, following the dirt road away from it. William gave a small pebble a kick down the center of the road, watching it stumble and bumble along its path until it came to an eventual halt. He let out a quiet sigh through his nose, sticking his hands into the pockets of his pants and continuing along his way.

"Since when do _you _ditch school?"

William jumped at the sound of Scootaloo's voice, and she chuckled as she began trotting from behind him to his side. The orange pegasus gave him a sly wink, her large magenta eyes distracting him.

"It's cool," Scootaloo grinned. "I promise not to tell if you don't."

William did not reply, only walking along the roadside and away from the schoolhouse. She kept up pace next to him, which wasn't difficult – he didn't necessarily have long legs.

"… You still mad?"

"Hm?" William looked up suddenly, having been lost in his thoughts.

"About the other day?" Scootaloo said uncomfortably. "Because, I mean, I-I get it if you are –"

"Everything is fine." He replied expressionlessly.

"Are you sure?" Scootaloo pried, her wings ruffling agitatedly.

William furrowed his brows suspiciously.

"Why does it matter?" he grumbled.

"Be-because…"

William hadn't noticed that she had stopped walking, and he slowly came to a halt to turn around to face her. To his surprise, she looked torn between anxious and fairly unhappy, and didn't look up as she rubbed her foreleg.

"I, well… I was thinking about what you said," Scootaloo said uncomfortably. "Because I didn't really get it at first when you were talking about feeling like somepony just… treating you like an object, and-and I really don't want to make you feel like-like that, is all."

William let out another quiet sigh through his nostrils, thinking.

"… Shut up," Scootaloo said suddenly, pushing him. Her face was red, and her sudden scowl confused him. He stumbled, but kept his ground. "Just quit _looking _at me like that, okay?"

"What?" William blinked.

"_That_," Scootaloo's frown deepened. "It freaks me out when you _look _at me like that."

She turned her eyes away from him, her magenta gaze looking elsewhere – anywhere else. It was the same look that he'd seen Rainbow Dash give him a couple of times. Even her eyes looked similar, the same bright color. It bothered him even more deeply than he thought it would; like looking at a miniature Rainbow Dash.

William steeled his nerves and mentally kicked himself, as he would probably continue to do all day, for his decision.

He merely stood in front of her with his arms held out.

Scootaloo eventually grinned and promptly pounced him, tackling him with a hug. Something occurred to him as he picked himself up from the dirt, trying not to laugh as she was.

Sometimes, the best form of communication one can have with another doesn't involve speaking at all.

0-0-0-0-0

Scootaloo sat beside William silently, unable to assume the same indian style position that he sat in.

The bog they looked over was a bit noisy, in a peaceful sort of way. The buzzing of busy the occasional pair of dragonflies flittering lazily overhead and blown apart by the wind, and the croak here and there of a couple of frogs far apart in the morning sun gave the whole place a warm and simultaneously isolated aura. It was a calm, serene kind of din, and the glow of the morning sun basked them in a warm light.

"… We should do this more often."

"Hm?" William turned his head toward her to find that she was craning her neck up to watch a couple of brightly colored dragonflies dancing back and forth with each other before zipping apart in opposite directions.

"This," she waved a hoof before her. "Just, you know, hanging out. We should do it more often."

"If you insist," William looked back out over the swamp, and watched a pair of thriving water lilies drift along.

"I do insist," Scootaloo nodded. "Every day. From now on; it doesn't even have to be with the whole Crusaders. Just me and you. 'Kay?"

"Actually…" William cleared his throat inelegantly. "Well… I am expected to spend each day with Diamond Tiara in order to –"

"Oh _come on!" _Scootaloo scowled. "Is there _really _just no getting away from her?"

"Why do you _hate _her so much?" William asked curiously, before realizing that it was probably for the same reasons he had in mind.

"She's a snotty, stuck up brat, that's why," Scootaloo frowned even more deeply. "She's mean –"

"Miss Scootaloo."

" – She's a lying –"

"Miss Scootaloo."

" – Conniving, plot-faced, manipulative –"

_"Miss Scootaloo."_

" – Vicious, possessive –"

_"Scoots."_

The pegasus froze, the next words practically dangling from her open lips. She blinked, not realizing that she had suddenly stopped breathing for a few seconds.

"She's not so bad, once you get to know her," William nodded a little. "Even if she does make me uncomfortable."

"She's – how so?" Scootaloo's frown ingrained itself even more deeply into her face. Much more and she would begin to look like an upside down Pinkie Pie.

The sudden light flush that rose in William's cheeks was all she needed to know. Scootaloo stood swiftly, leaning over him and causing him to lurch back against the sandy bank.

"Didn't you say that you didn't want to be treated like some kind of object?" she narrowed her magenta eyes at him as her face drew unbearably close, and again he was reminded of Rainbow Dash. When he didn't immediately answer, she took another step forward threateningly until they were close together.

"So tell her that she can't have you."

The closer that Scootaloo got to him, the more he noticed the smaller details; how focused and sharp her eyes could seem despite their large size, the minor twitch in her lip as she seemed just on the edge of a pout. The light scent of apricots drifting energetically from her mane, as if she could generate electricity with a single touch.

And for just a single moment, she didn't remind him of Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo didn't appear to him as alien and intimidating, as just as untrustworthy as everyone else. And from just that one single, fleeting moment onward, William viewed Scootaloo precisely as he should have right from the beginning.

_Innocent._

Scootaloo felt an odd pang in her chest from the bizarre look William was suddenly giving her as she inclined over him, hooves flat against the ground on each side of his head.

"… William."

"Yes, Miss Scootaloo."

"Do I – do I make you feel uncomfortable like… like Diamond Tiara does?" she asked tentatively, a sad tint in her tone. Scootaloo chewed her bottom lip when he didn't reply automatically.

"… No." William clinched his hands together across his stomach and stared up at her. "No, you do not."

She looked away from him then, a look of what he could only surmise was hidden regret or discontent.

"… I don't know why you look so disappointed, Scoots," William said quietly, sliding his hands up her sides around her back, and clasping them gently over her small wings. "I should think you would be happier to know that I have grown so fond of your companionship."

"Only my closest friends call me Scoots," she smiled softly as her magenta eyes met his almond ones, the tip of her nose barely touching his own.

"I know, Scoots. I know."

"Friggin' _adorable_," Discord sniffed, wiping a single tear from his eye.

Scootaloo yelped as they tumbled in panic, scrambling to their feet as the form of Discord lazily swung back and forth between a couple of trees, using the tip of his tail to wrap around the trunk and turn himself into a makeshift hammock.

"_Discord_!" Scootaloo's wings ruffled dangerously, and William awkwardly gawked at the yawning God of Chaos. Just how long had he been behind them…?

"That's m'name, don't wear it out," Discord stretched his arms and leaned out into the air, somehow managing to still remain balanced without falling, despite the lack of support. He gave them a lopsided, toothy grin, and added "But if you do, 'your mighty fine handsome incredible deity of all things mayhem and awesome' would work pretty well, too."

"Good morning, Father," William cleared his throat anxiously, desperately trying to ignore the burning in his cheeks. "I trust all is well?"

Discord snorted, spiraling into the air with a twirl and cracking his back. Several handfuls of Styrofoam packing peanuts burst out, crackling to the ground when he did so.

"Bah," he grinned more widely, waving him off with one talon. "I keep forgetting just how stuffy you act all the time. You're like an _itty-bitty widdle grown up!"_ Discord lurched forward and pinched William's cheeks with his talon and paw, and with one swift movement pulled the red right out of them.

Literally. Discord pinched his cheeks and pulled away the bright red color that had flushed into them, and held the colors up to the light to better inspect them.

"Hmm," he eyed them through a monocle that had somehow appeared on one of his large, misshapen red eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that someone was caught with their _pants _down, eh?"

_"He still has his pants!"_ Scootaloo stamped a hoof against the sandy bank, as equally put off by the sudden appearance of the odd draconequus as William was.

"Not helping, Scoots," William hissed quietly out of the side of his mouth.

"Of course he does," Discord patted the frustrated Scootaloo atop the head before vanishing with a click of his talons, only to reappear behind them as a bundle of lily pads sprouted on impossibly long sprouts to form a green throne, which Discord reclined in. He sipped through a bendy straw from a wine glass full of chocolate milk, which began vanishing from the bottom up as he slurped noisily at it.

William had almost forgotten just how utterly mind bending it was, trying to watch Discord and retain a semblance of logic. Nigh impossible, actually.

And for a moment, William honestly didn't know what to say. What was one supposed to say to a mad god?

"… Lovely weather we're having," William coughed into his fist uncomfortably.

"Really?" Discord glanced upward, and it took William a moment to realize that it wasn't just the angle of the sun – all of the clouds had turned a bright shade of pink. "Looks like more bad storms incoming, if you ask me," he said cheerfully.

"What do you want, Discord?" Scootaloo asked suspiciously, edging protectively toward William.

"What, I can't _stop by_ now and then to check up on my _favorite _adoptee every now and then?" Discord scoffed innocently, slithering upside down on his leafy throne as it wobbled dangerously. The half-filled glass of milk turned with him, sloshing upward and spilling into the sky.

"You have before?" William asked curiously.

Discord tapped the bridge of his nose with one talon, giving him a sly grin.

"More often than you'd think," he cackled.

With a sudden serious look, he snapped his talons as the pink clouds vanished, along with Discord and the leafy throne. He popped into existence behind him once again, and William and Scootaloo whirled around again to find that he stood with a grave, solemn expression.

"But, seriously," Discord stated inexpressively. "I'd be grateful if you kept my little visits just between _us_, hmm?"

"What's it matter to you who knows if you're running around Equestria?" Scootaloo demanded suspiciously.

"What's it matter to you who knows that you're ditching school to make googly eyes on top of Willy?" the draconequus leered.

"I don't – not my – can't just – not what happened –" William mumbled, embarrassed. Scootaloo didn't seem to have anything to reply with, which only made Discord laugh again. It wasn't nearly as cold as the last one, though; much warmer, more genial.

"Where have you _been _all this time?" William asked quietly, desperate to change the subject and sorely wishing that he had a book to hide behind.

"Oh, you know," Discord rolled his wrist leisurely as he began drifting up into the air, reclining on an invisible sofa. "Busy being a God of Chaos, doing godly, chaos-y things," he said conversationally. "But if you must know, I've been looking high and low."

"For what?" William inquired, genuinely interested. It seemed rather odd that there was something that a god couldn't find.

"And_ that's_ the million bit question, isn't it?" Discord grinned coyly, tapping his nose again. He slowly vanished from one end to another into a wisp of smoke, until all that was left was his enormous, Cheshire smile. And in time, even that was gone.

0-0-0-0-0

William and Scootaloo walked in silence for a while, side by side.

The pegasus had her head held low, contemplating. William, however, was nearly strolling alongside her down the small path through the bog. The birds sang a little more cheerfully, the breeze at their backs was a little more gentle, the world was a little more colorful and the sun was a little bit brighter.

William just seemed a little bit more chipper.

He noticed the upbeat manner in which he was walking, and immediately remedied the situation.

"So…" the filly began awkwardly. "Discord's still… Discord."

"Hm?" William hummed distractedly. "I would assume so."

"… What's it like?" Scootaloo asked eventually, slowing to an eventual halt beneath the shade of an overhanging weeping willow.

"What's what like?" he turned slightly, furrowing his brows.

"Having parents."

William paused, letting it bounce around his head for a few seconds before it finally sank in.

"I… didn't know that you didn't."

"Ponyville orphanage is a pretty small place," she said quietly, sitting against the trunk of the willow and watching the light dance off the bog's water. "Nopony even notices that it's there, usually."

He contemplated for a long moment, covering his mouth with his hand and holding his jaw as he thought.

Eventually, William sat beside her, wishing that he had brought along something to eat.

"It's… really not all it's cracked up to be," William replied.

Scootaloo snorted.

"You don't have to lie to try to make me feel better, you know," she eyed him warily.

"I'm not lying to you," William shook his head defensively. "It's the truth."

"How can you really believe that, though?" Scootaloo asked in confusion. "You'd think that having a mom and dad would be _great_."

William scratched his head uneasily, and said "Well, let's face it; Discord is highly irresponsible. He's rarely there at all."

"Well, maybe," Scootaloo struggled. "But, I mean – you still get to live with Rainbow Dash, right?"

"Yes," he nodded slowly. "And to be fair, you remind me of Miss Dash in a lot of ways."

"I do?" she perked up.

"I can't necessarily say that I care for the company of Miss Dash."

Scootaloo gave him a confused, tilted look at his odd admission. After a couple of seconds or so, she nodded quietly to herself.

"Is-is it because of… your dad?"

"No," William shook his head. "Although I do not doubt that Miss Dash's current… behavior is in some way related to Discord."

Scootaloo blinked, and said "No, I-I meant your _other _dad."

William, now equally befuddled, cocked an eyebrow cautiously.

"My what now?"

"Your-your real parents?" Scootaloo said apprehensively.

He shook his head, and replied "Miss Dash and Discord _are _my real parents. They took me in, gave me a home – they gave me a family. I never knew my biological parents – ergo, they are not my real parents."

The pegasus gave him a tilted, unidentifiable look that held his attention much longer than he expected it would. Eventually, she shook her head with a soft sigh and a grin.

"I knew it," she beamed at him, only serving to confuse him further when she dragged him into a tight hug. "You're all right, Willy."

"My name is William, Scoots."

"I know, Will. I know."

0-0-0-0-0

William hummed as he walked, a contented and cheerful tune. It was almost as if his mind were in a fog; a lovely, pleasant little flurry that just made everything seem a bit less important.

Perhaps if he hadn't been quite so distracted by his thoughts, he would have realized that the voices coming from inside Rainbow Dash's house were more than a little familiar.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he held the door open, every scrap of senseless jovial feeling leaving him in a single instant as the weight of the world came crashing back down. William instantly cursed himself for his bout of idiocy, but it was too little, too late.

Both Rainbow Dash and Miss Cheerilee seemed to share his opinion.

"… Uh oh."

And that was all he could really bring himself to say.

_"William Zachariah Klaskovsky!" _Rainbow Dash seethed, tapping a jittering hoof against the floor. "Do you have _any _idea how much trouble you're in, mister?"

"Well," Cheerilee said and cleared her throat. "I suppose that foals are bound to be a little _too _eager for summer vacation every _now _and then –"

"_Thank _you, Cheerilee," Dash's wings rustled dangerously, and her eyes narrowed. She gave the boy a look that could have curdled milk, and William suddenly felt ill. "Now if you don't mind, I'll take it from here."

The schoolteacher nodded uncomfortably, taking her leave and latching the door quietly behind them.

William fiddled with his thumbs for a moment, awkwardly teetering on his heels as Rainbow Dash glared silently at him.

"… Lovely… weather…?" William started weakly.

"Never even showed up to school this time." Dash spoke quietly, but William had become so silent that she made herself heard easily.

He found that the floor beneath him had suddenly become much more interesting.

"William."

He uncomfortably tilted his gaze upward, refraining from cringing before her noiseless fury. William found that his throat was mysteriously dry. She was nearly shaking with rage; and a little more unsettling, showed little to no facial expression whatsoever.

"… Yes, Mother."

"I cannot even _begin _to tell you how _angry _that I am with you right now," she seethed quietly, and William once again found it nearly impossible to look her in the eyes. He knew that look; the quietly bubbling wrath that warned of impending pain. She gripped him tightly by the shoulder, seating him at the table.

William braced himself, silently awaiting the suffering that was about to befall him.

He had seen the look of anger so similar to that before. Just like the older boys at the orphanage, quietly waiting for their moment to strike when none of the elders could spot them. Any moment now, she would lash out at him and strike him; or maybe she had finally grown so fed up with him that she would disown him altogether. The thought shook him deeply, only heightening his panic. Soon there would be anguish, soon there would be pain, soon –

William started with a jolt when Rainbow Dash nuzzled against his neck softly, flinching.

"… You can't keep scaring me like this, William," she said softly, wings wrapping around him from behind. "You don't know how _badly _you hurt me when you do that."

He cringed internally, his heart thumping heavily.

"… I'm sorry." William hung his head, and closed his eyes. "I… wasn't thinking."

Rainbow Dash sighed unhappily, and held him closer. "You can't keep _doing _this, William."

"I understand, Mother."

"Maybe so," Dash whispered. "But that doesn't mean that your naughty behavior can't go… _unpunished_."

William froze again when she nibbled the top of his ear affectionately, rolling it between her teeth slowly.

"M-Mother," he stuttered, twitching.

"No talking back, mister." Rainbow Dash said dangerously, never raising her voice.

"… Yes, Miss Dash."

"There's a good boy."

0-0-0-0-0

"_William_."

He jerked in his sleep, eyes flying open as Rainbow Dash shook him awake.

"Yes, Miss Dash?" he asked blearily, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on, Squirt," she said gently, giving him a kiss on the cheek and rubbing his head with her wing. "I want to show you something."

"What time is it?" he asked tiredly, stifling a yawn. It didn't even appear that the sun had risen yet.

"Same time as it was yesterday," Dash grinned excitedly. "Just a day later. Now, come on, or we're gonna miss it. I want to share something really special with you, so hurry up."

William swiftly dressed, wearily following the antsy Rainbow Dash as she led him outside. The brisk morning air chilled him, and he tucked his hands beneath his armpits for warmth. Rainbow Dash kept up an even pace, and he had to almost jog to keep up with her. Her wings were nearly constantly shuffling, as if she were resisting the urge to simply fly ahead.

Eventually, she led him to a small hill, and they clambered to the top of it. With a small huff, Rainbow Dash silently motioned for him to sit, and they settled down wordlessly.

"Okay," Dash said breathlessly, shifting eagerly as they faced the east. "Ever seen a sunrise before, Squirt?"

William cocked an eyebrow, unamused. This was what she had awoken him for?

"I can't say that I particularly care for –"

"Oh, shut up and _watch _already," she grinned, slinging a wing over him to give him a hug. William grumbled something unintelligible, but was actually fairly grateful for the added warmth. They sat for several minutes, watching as the first few trickles of golden light began slipping up over the horizon.

Streams of pale yellow tickled the clouds, giving them a silvery sheen. Light streaked across the ground, immediately causing shadows to leap forth from the ground as a lenient, deep luminosity crawled up the edge of the sky, like an enormous burning behemoth. It took hardly any time at all for the soft, golden ball of radiance to reach out and touch them with its light, bathing them in a healthy, colorful glow.

In short, it was _breathtaking_.

William found that he could not, in all earnestness, hold back a smile from the sight any longer. His lips unwillingly turned upwards; at least, at first. He eventually stopped resisting the smile itself, and simply enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun. It was a comforting, welcome sight.

He turned to Rainbow Dash to see her own reaction, and she was indeed smiling. However, it was a sad, tormented half-smile; a bitter and hurting smile, only complemented by the tears streaming silently down her face.

"… Are you well?" William asked with a hint of concern in his voice, resting a small hand on her side. She turned to look at him for a bare moment, before her gaze returned once again to the rising sun.

"… There was a time when I thought that I'd never see a sunrise ever again," Dash croaked, her voice scratchy and shaking. "I'd almost forgotten…"

William didn't think that he had ever seen her so completely miserable. He didn't think that he had anything he could possibly say to her to make the weeping mare feel any better. He couldn't think of a single thing at all.

"Thank you, Miss Dash," William finally said in a quiet tone, watching the fiery orb escalate. "It's beautiful."

"I know, Squirt. I know."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky **

_Day 22 –_

I wonder if I am a bad person.

Those words feel so strange, coming from my own lips; and yet, I can't help but think that it might be true.

I hate to see Miss Dash Mother so unhappy. It seems like she is always crying, always upset. And the knowledge that I am at the center of it only serves to make me feel even worse. I don't have the foggiest clue as to how I am supposed to go about improving her situation, regardless of my zeal to do so. Sometimes, it seems that everywhere I go, misery is bound to follow. And yet, it would appear, for all intents and purposes, that I am utterly incapable of stopping it.

I hate feeling helpless.

I _hate _it.

I do not know if I can even face Diamond Tiara again after the… incident. But if I do not, then she shall most likely assume that I have conceded defeat, and I cannot allow this to pass. Merely because I indulged in truancy for a single day does not mean that I have surrendered; she may have won a battle, but she shall not win the war.

As for Silver Spoon… I have no idea of her current condition. Hopefully she will have recovered enough to endure public schooling once again, as well as tolerate the company of Diamond Tiara.

And as for Scootaloo, I think…

Hm.

I am not sure what to think.

She asked me if she made me feel uncomfortable in the same way that Diamond Tiara does, and at first, I believed so. But the more that I thought about it, the more that I came to realize that was just not the case. True, the girl does make me feel… _something_.

I just wish that I could identify it. I want to know, and badly; so much so that it almost hurts. It's such a peculiar feeling.

And on the note of the unidentifiable…

It would seem that Discord has returned.

For what reason, I am not certain. According to him, he has been observing on occasion for some time, but I have nothing accurate to base my findings on. This brings me a small level of frustration, but I shall admit that I am slightly glad that he has not chosen to simply abandon me altogether.

Not that I have abandonment issues, of course. That would be ridiculous.

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

"How terrible- to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees!"

― Sophocles, Oedipus Rex


	9. Ch9:Little Less Talk, Little More Action

0-0-0-0-0

_" No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks! " _

Scootaloo sang cheerfully as she walked down the middle of the road, turning suddenly and walking backwards to turn her wide grin toward her friends.

"Still got one more day, Scoots," Apple Bloom deadpanned, earning a nudge from Sweetie Belle, who walked on her right side.

"Oh, don't be a party pooper," Sweetie snickered, shaking her head with a smile of her own. "It's technically the last day, anyway; I can't wait for summer vacation, either."

"Yeah, well," Apple Bloom rolled her eyes at the skipping pegasus. "At least you ain't bouncing around like an itchy cat on a hot rock."

Scootaloo blew her a playful raspberry, turning her wide grin to William, who walked in silence on Apple Bloom's left. Unsurprisingly, he walked with his head down, completely lost in thought.

"How about you?" the unicorn asked Apple Bloom. "What are you planning for the summer?"

She shrugged, and rolled her neck. "Before or after we get our Cutie Marks?"

"We'll all get them this year, for sure," Sweetie Belle nodded. "Well, except for _one _of us, I mean."

It was silent for a moment, before William realized that both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were staring at him.

"… What?" he asked suddenly, shaking himself from his reverie.

"Jus' seems kind of _weird_, is all," Apple Bloom shook her head. "I mean, no Cutie Mark at all?"

"I dunno," Scootaloo slowed down until she walked alongside William, giving him a sly grin. "Maybe Will got a Cutie Mark without _telling _anypony. _We should check."_

He spluttered immediately, struggling to form a proper sentence as heat flooded into his face.

Scootaloo only cackled good naturedly, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both held serious expressions.

In an attempt to save him some embarrassment that Scootaloo was blatantly enjoying causing him, Apple Bloom gave a little sigh and asked "Alrighty, Will – what are _you _planning this summer?"

Uncomfortably clearing his throat, William started to mumble something along the lines of 'name is William', but changed it to "In all likelihood, I shall be spending the majority of the season in summer school."

Sweetie Belle drew in a sharp breath sympathetically. "Diamond Tiara, huh?"

He nodded silently, his expression grim.

Scootaloo walked a little less enthusiastically at the mention of the spoiled filly, but it couldn't wear down her good mood.

"Aw, Miss Cheerilee couldn't be that mean," the pegasus said uncertainly as they approached the schoolhouse. "The last time anypony got summer school was…"

She paused for a moment, thinking.

"That time Snails kept barfing in her desk?" Apple Bloom offered helpfully.

"No, no," Scootaloo waved her off distractedly. "I think it was that one time – no, not even then. Huh."

"She's usually fairly lenient with punishments," Sweetie Belle reassured him. "Unless you do something so bad that she goes completely overboard, Miss Cheerilee's kind of hard to make angry."

William doubted it, but carried on nonetheless.

0-0-0-0-0

The ticking of the clock on the wall filled the air, a dreadful silence lingering over the classroom.

Cheerilee let out a quiet breath, looking back and forth between William and Diamond Tiara.

The boy sat with his hands folded awkwardly before him, staring ahead at her with a blank look. Diamond Tiara, who actually sat directly next to him for once, was just as nervous; albeit, slightly more obvious about it. She tugged at her forelegs with her hooves in agitation, awaiting the jurisdiction of her teacher.

"Such a difficult debate," Cheerilee said ominously. "I do suppose that you seem to be getting along…"

Diamond Tiara perked up a bit, giving a wider smile and scooting a little closer to the disgruntled William to display just how well they were apparently getting along.

"Then again," she spoke slowly, scratching her chin. "Mister Klaskovsky hasn't adhered to the 'every day' policy…"

"What?" Diamond Tiara recoiled. "You mean, just because he missed _one _–"

"_More _than one," Cheerilee said bluntly. "I was _counting_."

"We _still _have to go through summer school?" Tiara's horrified look was plain on her face, and the dejection in her voice was just as obvious.

Cheerilee gave the filly a somber, flat glare.

0-0-0-0-0

"Well?" Silver Spoon pried as William slipped out of the doorway, peering around for her friend. "Well, well?"

"FREE AT LAST, _FREE AT LAST!"_ Diamond Tiara shoved past William ecstatically, causing him to stumble. She and Silver Spoon cheered jubilantly, performing what was possibly one of the oddest victory dances he had ever seen.

"Bump! Bump! Sugar-lump rump!" the pair of them caroled simultaneously, earning a revolted look from Scootaloo as she gave a hoof to William to help him to his feet.

"That was absolutely _disgustin_'," Apple Bloom frowned in distaste.

"Can it, farm pony," Diamond Tiara stuck her nose in the air, Silver Spoon swiftly following her lead.

"Yeah," Silver said huffily. "We'll be just as disgusting as we _want _to be."

Diamond Tiara groaned quietly, and shook her head.

"For_ buck's sake_, Silver."

Diamond Tiara gave a small huff, turning her attention toward William and playfully asking "So… see you later?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sweetie Belle waved them off, having waited along with her friends outside to discover the judgment. "Something, something, something, better than everypony else, something. Have a fun summer!" she grinned, pulling the frustrated Apple Bloom back before she could say more.

Both Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara drifted from sight as they trotted away briskly, their chattering fading into the distance.

"So, I take it you _don't_ have summer school?" Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow.

William merely shrugged. "Apparently, summer school would do little to no good for 'us irascible rapscallions'."

Sweetie Belle snorted, tossing her head as they walked.

"See?" Scootaloo punched William in the arm lightly. "I _told you_ that you didn't have anything to worry about!"

"No you didn't," Sweetie Belle furrowed her brows.

"Details, _details_!" the pegasus beamed. "Summer!"

"But –"

_"Summ~er!"_ Scootaloo darted forward, wooping excitedly as her wings buzzed joyously through the air.

"Summer." Sweetie Belle shook her head, unable to keep from grinning. "Coming with us to the clubhouse this time?"

William remained silent, and she had to ask him again.

"What?" he asked absentmindedly, turning away from watching Scootaloo.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders headquarters," Apple Bloom repeated. "Aren't you gonna come with us?"

William pondered for a few seconds before slowly shaking his head.

"Actually, I have… something important to take care of."

0-0-0-0-0

William rapped at the door of Sugarcube Corner once again, awaiting idly for someone – anyone – to open the door.

Just as he was prepared to give up, he was alerted by the sound of someone shuffling inside; and moments later, an out of breath Pinkie Pie peered out the door. She grinned at him friendlily, looking a bit odd in what William could only describe as the pony equivalent of workout attire. Bright blue and yellow hairband with sweatbands, and the obvious upbeat music in the background almost screamed 'training montage'.

Pinkie Pie quickly shut off the music, returning with a tired smile to the waiting boy.

"Hiya, Will!" Pinkie panted, wiping her brow with her hoof. "What'cha up to?"

William clasped his hands behind his back nervously, and cleared his throat.

"Actually, Miss Pie –"

"Seriously," Pinkie snorted, ushering him inside kindly out of the sun. "When are you going to start calling me 'Pinkie Pie' like everypony else?"

"I prefer to maintain formalities," William said a little grumpily, even though her infectious good mood was already starting to get to him.

"Formalities, shmor…malities," Pinkie shrugged. "You _did _tell Rainbow Dash that you're here this time, right?" she inquired suspiciously.

"Yes," William unobtrusively bowed his head. "She specifically requested this morning to be left al- that she didn't mind if I came home late," he said quickly.

"I… see," Pinkie said quietly.

"Well… actually –" William started, only to be carefully cut off by a shake of the head from Pinkie Pie.

"Here to talk?" the mare asked wearily, and he could have sworn that he saw a bit of her mane droop.

In an instant, William regretted his decision.

"I apologize for wasting your time, Miss Pie," he shifted suddenly, turning for the door. "I've –"

"No, no," Pinkie patted him on the head with a small smile. "It's fine, really – you just happen to have caught me at an odd time is all."

"I'm terribly sorry –"

"Stop _apologizing _so much," Pinkie Pie giggled. "You're starting to sound like Fluttershy."

"I'm s-"

"_Ahp_!" she smirked, holding up a hoof and causing him to grin sheepishly as well. "None of _that_, mister."

William cleared his throat uncomfortably, but before he could say more, Pinkie took control of the situation with startling swiftness.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home," she said as she started up the stairs. "I'm going to grab a quick shower before the Cakes get back from the park with the twins; I won't be long, I promise!" Pinkie called after her shoulder, and he heard the sound of water running shortly afterwards.

William tried sitting at the table in silence for a while, his thoughts heavy.

Eventually, he quietly pulled himself up the stairs, following the sound of falling water. Pondering, he surveyed the trail of steam leaking from the bathroom door and silently sat beside it, his back leaning against the wall as he listened to the sound of Pinkie Pie humming and eventually singing a cheerful tune.

He caught himself almost falling asleep, regardless of the odd position or place to do so; perhaps it was the warm steam, or that he found the sound of Pinkie's voice relaxing. Or maybe he had just become very tired for no reason. William gave himself a little shake, gripping his knees with his small hands and drawing up closer to the wall.

William could have sworn that Pinkie Pie was loudly humming something familiar, he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. He closed his eyes and focused solely on that for a while, merely listening to her contented humming as the water fell. He almost didn't even notice when the shower water actually stopped, and a damp Pinkie Pie emerged from the steamy room, adjusting a towel over her mane.

"You have a lovely voice."

Pinkie Pie jumped, almost slipping but catching herself on the doorframe.

Gasping for breath and staring wide eyed at the expressionless boy, Pinkie felt like her heart were going to leap out of her chest.

"_Jeez_, Will!" Pinkie wheezed. "I didn't mean make yourself that at h- _wait_."

William shifted from the discomforting look that she was giving him.

"… How long have you – were you sitting here waiting for me the _whole time?" _Pinkie withdrew a little.

He fiddled with the tips of his fingers, suddenly unable to look up.

"… Maybe."

"Well, Will…" Pinkie fiddled with the towel atop her head. "That's actually kind of… creepy. Definitely kind of creepy, Will. Don't _do _that."

He hung his head, suddenly feeling much smaller.

Pinkie sighed eventually and gave him a slightly wet pat on the head.

"It's okay, Will. Didn't I say I wouldn't be long?" Pinkie smiled at him, and William seemed constantly on the verge of trying to speak, but unable to find his voice.

"Yes, Miss Pie," he nodded slowly. "I apologize for my impatience."

Pinkie resisted the urge to exhale heavily as William pulled himself to his feet. She gave him a helping hoof, which he accepted with a surprisingly large smile of his own.

"Okay, okay." Pinkie tittered. "You have my _complete _and undivided attention."

William quickly became awkward again, toying with the tips of his fingers as he tried to look at her.

"If it's all the same to you, Miss Pie, I'd-I would prefer if we could speak of important matters in-in private."

"There's nopony else home, Will," Pinkie deadpanned, but frowned concernedly at the oddly worried and agitated look on his face. She couldn't quite place it, but shook it off. Pinkie eventually let out another little sigh, her smile rising right back up again afterwards.

"All right, all right," she rolled her eyes as she turned, leading him down the hall. "Just don't look so glum, sugarplum!"

William followed her closely down the hall, and she eventually led him to a room at the end which he supposed was her own. It was a brightly painted, colorfully decorated room, with a large circular rug covering half of the floor and a comfortable looking bed in the center of it. Pinkie hopped with a springy bounce up onto the bed, the towel atop her head flopping slightly as a few strands popped out.

He stood and stared for a moment, before she patted the bed next to her.

"Don't just waddle and dawdle, silly Willy!" Pinkie grinned. "Hop on up, and tell your Auntie Pinkie Pie what all the fuss is about."

William silently clambered atop the surprisingly spongy bed, his hands folded in his lap as he took a deep breath. Pinkie Pie held her small smile, but inside, she was steeling herself. There was a reason that she was deliberately taking as long as possible, and a small part of her even wished that the Cakes would come home early.

And she didn't really know if she could properly handle talking about William's father.

She toiled to find the right words for the inevitable question, and William struggled to speak.

"Miss Pie –"

"Pinkie," she said softly.

"… Pinkie." He took another steep breath. "I have a great deal of respect for you."

Both uncertain of how to respond and positive that he had more to say, Pinkie remained silent.

Uncomfortably, William took another long breath and said "As a matter of fact, I think that I trust you just about more than anybody else."

Pinkie blinked, thinking.

She smiled kindly, which he began to mirror. "Well, Will, I'm glad to know that you feel that you can trust your friends."

"I do," he nodded. "Very, very much."

Furrowing his brows slightly, he uneasily added "Which is why I thought that I could come to you about – about… things."

"Of course you can, Will," Pinkie reassured him. "Pinkie promise."

He began struggling again, fitfully pulling at his own hands as he found himself incapable of expressing himself properly.

"It's just – I mean, I feel that sometimes –" he stuttered, flexing his fingers again and again, straining with himself. "Sometimes, it's just so… so…!"

Pinkie rested a hoof on his shoulder, and smiled sympathetically.

William let out a little huff at his own vernacular catastrophe, obviously torn.

Without warning, William immediately cupped her head in his small hands, pulled her forward, and kissed her.

He ran a single hand through the strands of moist mane sticking out from beneath her towel, which gradually fell unnoticed to the floor. His fingers met a little resistance, curling over his hand.

Pinkie blinked, jolting back in shock.

_"Whoa!_" she shouted, irises narrowing to pinpricks. "William,_ what are you doing?!"_

William jumped at the sound of her panicky raised voice, his eyes wide.

"What?" he cringed, hurt and confused. "What? What did I do?"

"What did you _do?"_ Pinkie yelled incredulously, "William, I-I can't even – William, what? Just, _what?"_

"I-I'm sorry!" he quailed, holding up the palms of his hands, almost on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry! I was – I was only being affectionate!"

_"Affectionate!?"_ she shrieked, in time curbing the volume of her voice. Pinkie took a few deep breaths, keeping herself in check when she realized that William was silently crying.

"Will," Pinkie said carefully, not daring to move. "No - no, no no _no._ William, _no_. That's… that is _not _how you show _affection _to somepony!

"I'm sorry," the flinching boy pulled at his hair, barely able to speak above a croaky whisper. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Despite her own feelings, Pinkie was still struck with a sense of pity watching William in such turmoil. Slowly, cautiously, and quietly, Pinkie Pie drew a little closer and pulled him into a gentle hug, his head beneath her chin as he wept.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he was muffled against her chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't – I didn't know. I'm sorry."

Pinkie hushed him lowly, rocking deliberately side to side, her hooves wrapped around him.

"Shhh, shh shhh." Pinkie quieted him soothingly. "It's _okay_, Will. Auntie Pinkie's here."

"… I don't want to live anymore."

Pinkie actually stopped rocking for a full beat, and she realized just how badly he was trembling.

Even more than she was.

It took her far longer than she thought that it would to find her voice again, his words had cut her so deeply. The outright despondence in his tone, the sound of despair; Pinkie knew the sound. She probably knew it better than most.

"Will," she spoke softly. "Why would you ever, _ever _say something like that?"

He only shook harder.

She held the crying child for a while longer, finally putting a hoof under his chin and slowly forcing him to meet her gaze. When he did so, he saw that her own eyes were red, but she held her composure.

"Look – look at me, William," she said quietly. "Don't you ever – _ever _– say that again."

"I'm sorry," he breathed. "I'm s-"

"No, no, Will," Pinkie gradually began rocking back and forth again, refusing to let go. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. It's okay, Will. Auntie Pinkie Pie's here. It's _okay_."

It vaguely occurred to William that, as she held him, Pinkie spoke to him in nearly the same manner that a person might confront a spooked or injured animal; with pacifying, gentle speech and slow movements.

Oh, the irony.

0-0-0-0-0

"Twilight?" Pinkie Pie leaned across the table on her elbows, massaging her temples. "He's got _issues_."

"I don't know, Pinkie," the unicorn sighed heavily, thankful for the silence of the library. "He seemed like he had his head on his shoulders pretty firmly the last time I –"

"_Lots _of issues, Twi," Pinkie said seriously. "I mean it.

"Look, Pinkie," Twilight said irritably. "That's a bit of a stretch –"

"I think somepony hurt him, Twilight."

Pinkie Pie gave Twilight the most level, focused and sharp look that the unicorn had ever seen from the normally jovial mare, and she lost herself in thought for a few seconds.

"He's been hurt. Hurt bad, Twi," Pinkie said lowly.

"That's still an awfully heavy accusation…" Twilight miserably rubbed her own aching head, wishing it were all as simple as slapping a single spell over the whole situation and fixing everything like everypony expected her to.

How was she expected to solve the problem when she didn't even know where to start?

Twilight sighed again, and said "I know that you're concerned for William, but after the… 'incident'," Twilight said carefully, making air quotes. "I am really not certain that your judgment is unimpaired b-"

"Don't you _dare_."

Pinkie barely spoke above a whisper, but she still made herself heard clearly. As a matter of fact, right then, Twilight was sure that she could have heard a pin drop.

"That won't ever happen again, Twilight Sparkle." Pinkie Pie vowed quietly, her mane flattening tightly against her head ever so slowly. "Never, ever again."

"Pinkie –"

"_No_," she cut her off swiftly, and if Twilight expected her to display anger, or frustration, or anything, then she was sorely mistaken. Pinkie Pie spoke emotionlessly, blankly. She didn't raise her voice, and Twilight had a hard time detecting the anger that she spoke with.

"No, Twilight," Pinkie said a little more softly. "Don't question my 'mental stability'. I knew exactly what I was doing. I did what I had to do, when I had to do it – it's done, it's over with. I can't change that now, and I never can. But I'll be _damned _– " she slapped the flat of her hoof against the table suddenly, causing Twilight to jump. " – if I'll ever make that mistake again."

The unicorn breathed heavily through her nose, only for Pinkie to carry on.

"Obviously, Dashie isn't in her right mind right now," Pinkie Pie said slowly. "And even if you believe – even if it's only because you want to believe – that Rainbow Dash is getting better, she still-still isn't well enough to take care of him."

"Not as well as you'd like, you mean," Twilight spoke almost inaudibly.

"I'm just… I'm just worried, Twi," Pinkie rubbed her eyes furiously, and shook her head. "Will and me talk a lot, but I know that there's a lot that he's not telling me."

"And vice versa," Twilight added dryly, but clamped her mouth shut when she saw the look that her friend was giving her.

"There are some things I'd rather he not know," Pinkie seethed bitterly. "We've been over this. Don't make me repeat myself."

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm before carrying on.

"He needs help, Twilight," Pinkie pleaded exasperatedly. "There is _no _colt his age that should ever say some of the things I've heard."

"I'll back your decision, Pinkie Pie." Twilight nodded carefully. "You don't have to keep trying to convince me; you've made a solid argument, which is a pleasant surprise."

"You make it sound like you expected me to spout nonsense," Pinkie narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"No," Twilight shook her head quickly. "It's just pretty rare that anypony manages to best my logic, and I was acknowledging your capacity to do so."

Pinkie Pie snorted. "Sure didn't _sound _like it," she leaned back in her chair, obviously dissatisfied.

Twilight shrugged self-consciously with a little chuckle.

"Right," Twilight veered off of the topic gracelessly. "You know, I suppose that, deep down, I knew that this day would come eventually. I just really never wanted to be there when it happened."

"I know how you feel, Twilight," Pinkie nodded as she stood, her mane beginning to regain a little more of its previous bounce as color gradually came back to her cheeks. "Trust me, I know."

"Nothing left for it, then," Twilight said gloomily. "You know what to do. Let's go stage an intervention."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 23 –_

It would appear that I have made an egregious error.

I don't belong here I may have irrevocably damaged my friendship with Miss Pie.

I should have kept a more level head. I should have properly analyzed the situation enough to realize what an utter fool I've been. Maybe I should never have been born.

This is what I get; this is what I deserve for opening up again.

_Stupid_.

It's no wonder that nobody really wants me.

0-0-0-0-0


	10. Ch10: Sins Of The Father

0-0-0-0-0

"Pinkie Pie?"

The confusion in Rainbow Dash's voice was evident, and she stared at her friend with a mixture of concern and aggravation.

"Heya, Dashie," Pinkie waved meekly, forcing a little smile. "How're ya doing?"

"Pinkie," Dash furrowed her brows, and opened the front door a little wider to face her better. "Do you even know what time of night it is?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do," Pinkie nodded solemnly, and it took Rainbow Dash a full beat to catch on to just how _miserable _she sounded. "I came by earlier and-and I guess nopony was home."

"I have a job, you know." Dash frowned, and Pinkie hung her head.

"I know, Dashie. Understandable if you had to leave Will on his own for a little while."

Deep down, Rainbow Dash felt like she knew that was what Pinkie was on her doorstep for. Like she was deliberately trying to steer into the conversation without being blunt about it.

Which raised the question of _since when is Pinkie Pie subtle?_

"It happens," Dash said conversationally, thinking.

"I guess you're right," Pinkie nodded nonchalantly. "You know, speaking of William…"

And Rainbow Dash's hunch was right on the money.

"He's already in bed." Dash narrowed her eyes slightly. "And h-"

"Actually, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie Pie rubbed her foreleg uncomfortably. "I can't do this; I'm not good at trying to talk to somepony, being 'roundabout' with it. We need to talk."

Dash sighed through her nostrils heavily, and replied "So I guessed."

"Do you mind if I come in?" Pinkie gave her what she hoped was a winning smile.

"Are you just going to keep _beating on the door_ if I say no?" Rainbow Dash asked dryly.

"Probably," Pinkie admitted with a lopsided grin.

Agitatedly, Dash leaned on her hoof, putting weight on the door and opening it enough to allow her friend in. Pinkie nodded thankfully, watching the disgruntled Rainbow Dash make for another room. Pinkie waved behind her, allowing the others inside before closing the door behind her without relocking it.

"Come on, Pinkie," Dash called quietly from the kitchen. "I'll make us something to drink, and you can get this out of your system. I couldn't sleep anyw-"

Dash stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed the rest of her friends standing silently behind Pinkie Pie, each and every one of them as stalwart and unmoving as the stone foundation of her ground level home.

"What's going on?" Dash backed toward the living room suspiciously, the eyes of her friends never leaving her. Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie. Applejack and Twilight. All standing still, all uncomfortably waiting for some other unfortunate soul to take the lead.

"Like I said, Dashie," Pinkie said forlornly. "We need to talk."

"_Out_," Rainbow Dash hissed dangerously. "You – _none _of you – have any right to be in _my _house without _my _say so!"

The pegasus's sudden shift in attitude seemed to throw Pinkie off enough that she couldn't find anything to counter with, prompting Twilight to sigh heavily. Her shoulders sagged, and she shook her head.

"There's no need for things to get out of hoof, Rainbow Dash," Twilight reassured her, stepping past Rarity. "We're all adults here, and we are going to resolve this issue in the manner that adults should. _Responsibly_."

"That still doesn't -!" Dash retorted, only to be cut off by Rarity.

"Just _bear with us_, darling," Rarity rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner everypony can just go home."

"Nice," Pinkie scowled. "_Real _nice, Rares."

"Some of us actually _need _beauty sleep, dear," Rarity shook her head. "Have you seen me sleep deprived? Ugh, absolute _beast _in the mornings."

"Aw, shucks," Applejack poked the unicorn roughly in the side. "Ain't like losing a little bit of sleep is gonna ruin your day that badly."

"_Thank _you, Applejack," Rarity said sarcastically. "Truly, your words of wisdom are an _inspiration _to us all."

"Ladies!" Twilight snapped, immediately taking a deep breath and running a hoof through her mane in anxiety. "Look, I know everypony is under a lot of _stress _right now, but just try to keep it together-"

"Can somepony clue me in?" Rainbow Dash glowered at them all. "On just the little things, you know, like_ why you're in my house?"_

Of all of them, Fluttershy was the only one that remained silent; and upon Rainbow Dash raising her voice, she was only encouraged to make herself seem even smaller and less noticeable.

"Okay. _Okay_," Twilight huffed. "This is hard enough without everypony at each other's throats. Rainbow Dash, I really, _really _am sorry about this."

Dash rolled her hoof expectantly through the air, wings ruffling in frustration.

"Gee, Twilight Sparkle confronting me like a _criminal _in my own home. _Again_."

The unicorn cleared her throat again, and finally stutteringly asked "Rainbow Dash, have you… have you _hurt _William?"

Dash was on the verge of another brash reply, and the words seemed to stick in her throat on the way out when she was caught completely off guard. She coughed in surprise, and her magenta eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"What?" she spluttered incredulously.

"I'm serious, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said sourly. "I have attained sufficient evidence to believe that William has suffered a-abuse."

Twilight almost stumbled over the last word, so unfamiliar and uncomfortable with such a word as she was. It even had an unpleasant _name_.

Rainbow Dash opened and closed her mouth several times, struggling to speak through her disbelief. She glanced around at her friend's uneasy stares in both horror and disgust, none of them except Pinkie Pie holding her gaze for more than a second.

"Are-are you out of your_ fucking minds?!" _Dash breathed, offended.

"Dashie, I think – I _know _that Will's been hurt bad," Pinkie said sadly. "I think –"

"No!" Rainbow Dash said loudly, mortified. "No, no no _no_! Listen-listen to me, I would never, _ever _hurt William! I-I could never hurt him like that, I love him!"

Rarity shifted in discomfort beside Applejack, who muttered something inaudible about not having any real reason to get involved. If anything, Fluttershy only attempted to blend into the wallpaper with spectacular failure.

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight began softly. "We all know the things that you've been through, and, well… is it possible that you might have attempted to reenact-"

"I can't believe what I'm _hearing_!" Dash blurted in revulsion, her voice beginning to crack. "Do you-do _any _of you really think that I would _ever _hurt somepony, let alone my_ own colt_ like that?"

"You aren't incapable of hurting somepony, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie Pie stated coldly. "Nopony really is."

Applejack blanched at her friend's unexpected outburst.

"Dadgum, Pinkie," the cowpony eyed her warily. "_That _was an awful dark thing t'say."

"Don't give me that," Pinkie Pie frowned, her mane slowly going flatter and flatter. "You sound just like _Twilight_."

"_Ladies_!" the unicorn barked again, causing them all to flinch. Twilight cleared her throat loudly, focusing their attention.

Twilight exercised her deep breathing routine, desperately trying to stay in control of the situation.

"Look, Rainbow Dash," Twilight explained slowly. "This entire scenario is going to be utterly pointless if nopony is cooperative; and if anything, we're all on the same side here."

_"YOU JUST ACCUSED ME OF ABUSING MY SON!"_

Twilight cringed, and said testily "I'm sorry that there's no _delicate _way to put it, Dash."

"Oh, so now I need to have it put _delicately _to me, huh? Is _that _it?" Rainbow Dash spat angrily, her glare burning a hole in Twilight. Before she could bare the full brunt of her wrath to the unicorn, Pinkie Pie stepped between them.

"Easy there, pumpkin pair," Pinkie said guardedly, keeping close watch on the two of them. "Twi's right, Dashie. Will does show a lot of signs of being hurt, and you being so antagonistic isn't helping anypony. _Especially _not Will," she added, and Rainbow Dash backed down guiltily.

There was an inaudible sigh of relief from the majority of them as the tension in the room slowly began rescinding, but the cold, awkward silence remained.

"The fact of the matter is," Twilight began uneasily. "William is not in a good position right now, not if there's any fear at all that you might begin to… relapse."

"It's not _fair_!" Dash stamped her hoof against the floor angrily. "You don't have the _right _to just-just take him _away _from me!"

"We all knew that this was only temporary, and-and... Dashie, this is as much for William's good as it is for yours," Pinkie said unhappily. "It's _obvious _that something is still wrong, and from what he's told me, your looking after him isn't helping _either one of you_ at all."

"Thank you, Pinkie Pie," Twilight said huffily. "She's right; and this intervention is technically more for his sake than it is for yours. What he needs right now is a healthy, _familial _environment."

"Like I can't give that to him?" Rainbow Dash heaved in distress. "I-I'm his mother, he _needs _me!"

"Does he need you, or do you need him?" Pinkie Pie asked her quietly, the sadness evident on her features. Dash was nearly on the verge of tears, pulling desperately at her multihued mane in misery.

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash," Twilight tried to offer her a hoof in reconciliation, which the pegasus only shrugged off. "It will only be long enough to ensure that the both of you are… are okay. And he'll be very close by; maybe with somepony familiar like the Apple family –"

Applejack immediately snorted, and said "I done told you _once_, Twi, I done told you a _hundred _times, I don't want that-that _thing _that close to my family!"

"Don't you _dare _talk that way about my son!" Dash growled viciously, butting heads with the earth pony.

"Ain't _my _fault that thing's _unnatural_-"

_"Shut up, Applejack!"_

"-And if anything, you should be yellin' at _Discord _– this was all _his _fault in the _first _place!"

_"You leave Discord out of this!"_

Applejack eventually backed down, warily watching the infuriated pegasus. Vainly hoping to avoid making a bigger ruckus than she already had, Twilight turned pleadingly to the only other unicorn in the room.

"Maybe Rarity…?" she started in exasperation, only for her friend to shake her head intently.

"I'm sorry, darling, but I've already got my hooves full with Sweetie Belle over the summer, and I just don't think that I have the proper room and board, and I've got my business to think of –"

It was obvious that Rarity was thinking up excuse after excuse, and Twilight furrowed her brows in frustration as she thought.

"You-he can't just be taken away from me," Rainbow Dash's voice cracked, and she found it difficult to stand. "He's _mine_, don't you get that?"

Fluttershy, who had up until this point been completely silent, finally spoke.

"Hasn't anypony realized just how _loud _you all are?"

Every head in the room slowly swiveled in her direction, but it was Rainbow Dash to think of it first.

She barreled down the hall, her friends close in tow; but by the time she pried open William's door and discovered it barren as cold air blew in through the bedroom window, it was already far too late.

William was already long gone.

0-0-0-0-0

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…!" Rainbow Dash hyperventilated, pulling out thin tufts of her mane. "No, no, no!"

"Everypony just stay _calm_," Twilight insisted nervously as Dash checked under the bed.

_"Where are you, Will? William?!"_

"He's not here!" Pinkie said in distress, stepping over a small piece of cloth with the emblem of the Cutie Mark Crusaders on it and peering out the window.

"_Evidently_, dear," Rarity huffed drolly. "Thank _goodness _we have your keen observational skills!"

"Maybe if you'd try _looking _for him instead of_ looking down_ on everypony else, we might find him before _tomorrow_!" Applejack scolded the unicorn loudly.

_"William, where are you?"_

"Oh, don't you take that tone with me, missy!" Rarity retorted coldly. "_You're_ the one who didn't want anything to do with the thing!"

"Yeah, well, neither did _you_!" Applejack bellowed in her face. It was only a matter of seconds before the entire room was filled with shouting, arguing, crying ponies, each panicking for their own reasons; and the noise only grew louder with every passing moment.

_"William, please come out!"_

"Can everypony calm down please?"

"YOU AIN'T GOT THE RIGHT TO BE TALKING DOWN TO _NOPONY_!"

_" Cupcakes, so sweet and tasty…! "_

"Perhaps if _somepony _weren't such an uncivilized _brute_, I wouldn't _have _to be!"

"STOP IT!" Fluttershy screamed, clasping her hooves over her ears and nearly collapsing to the floor. "Stop it, all of you, _stop it!"_

The butter colored pegasus wiped her eyes, forcing herself to remain as stoic as she possibly could as her friends all fell silent, staring at her in shock.

"Just _look _at yourselves!" Fluttershy scolded bitterly. "One tough situation, and everypony loses their minds! You all ought to feel _ashamed _of yourselves!"

Somehow, without even raising her voice above the level that it was already at, she managed to bludgeon them all into quiet submission within a matter of moments – and not a single one of them failed to hang their heads shamefacedly. Fluttershy was on a roll, however, and did not relent.

"Is it hardly any _wonder _that the poor colt ran away?" Fluttershy asked them all accusingly, looking around the room slowly. "Everypony calling him 'thing' instead of 'him', fighting over who _has _to take him-" she held her gaze on Applejack and Rarity the longest on this part, "-and not even _bothering _to treat William like he was any more than… than a common _animal_!"

Rainbow Dash didn't think that she had seen her friend this flustered in ages, and for the strangest reason, she couldn't quite seem to meet her eyes.

"Did any of you once – even _once _– bother to ask _him _what _he _wanted?" Fluttershy asked softly, her voice so quiet that she could barely be heard. But hear her they did, and not one of them had a ready answer.

"No." Fluttershy filled the silence. "_No_, you _didn't._ Not a _single one of you_ even _bothered _to ask William how _he _felt. Did you, Rainbow Dash?" she asked just as Dash tried to lift her head without crying, only to stare wateringly at the floor as her vision was blurred with hot tears again.

"Really, Fluttershy – " Twilight tried to speak uncomfortably, her voice weak. She was cut off before she could properly defend herself, though.

"And _you_!" Fluttershy stepped forward menacingly, which was _far _more threateningly than Twilight ever would have anticipated even though she stayed just as quiet as before. "Gathering up everypony in the middle of the night when you _knew _that nopony else wanted to do this, just so that you can fuel your sense of_ social justice!"_

Twilight stuttered and spluttered, incapable of facing her ire.

"_Shame _on you, Twilight Sparkle. _Shame on you."_

If Twilight seemed upset by the previous events, she covered it well; but Fluttershy's words left her shaken, and it was a long time before she even raised her head.

"I-I'm sorry." She whispered croakily, and wiped her eyes.

"I don't think that it's me that you should be apologizing to," Fluttershy patted her on the shoulder kindly. "And there will be plenty of time for that later."

"You're... you're right," Twilight cleared her throat loudly, and gave herself a good shake as her determination returned. "Right now, we need to find William. Everypony split up, we'll break off into search groups in differing sectors," she took charge as quickly as she regained her composure.

It took them only a matter of seconds to have come to grips with the situation, but it was Pinkie Pie who stopped her friends from taking off with what was technically a very important question. Rainbow Dash was already out, no longer held back from zipping through the sky as she desperately sought William.

"Hang on…" Pinkie held Twilight from marching out the door, thinking.

"Questions are going to have to wait until after we find –" the unicorn began, only for Pinkie to shake her head.

"Just _wait _a second, Twi," Pinkie frowned. "Just _where _would a runaway colt go to first?"

Twilight was on the verge of lecturing her over the importance of sticking to the plan for better results, but Fluttershy answered for her.

"Well, let's see," the pegasus said quietly. "The poor dear is probably crying his little _eyes _out right about now…"

This earned a round of torn and guilty looks from all around, but Fluttershy ignored them.

"And he's probably _scared_, and _upset_, and would probably do what _any _foal would do – trying to find a place where he feels welcome."

"And where would that be?" Twilight asked in exasperation.

"You don't think he's trying to run back to Sugarcube Corner, do you?" Pinkie inquired almost hopefully.

"Or to th' library, maybe," Applejack scratched her chin thoughtfully. "He's there sometimes on Tuesdays, ain't he?"

"Saturdays," Rarity deadpanned. "And I think _Twilight _would be the one to run away to a library if something went wrong."

Fluttershy pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, letting out a long, drawn out and irritated sigh.

"Girls, I love you to death, but really… you're all a bunch of _idiots_."

0-0-0-0-0

William sniffled miserably, forehead tight against his knees as he sat against the thin wooden wall. It seemed like no matter how much he cleared his eyes, they only burned and itched more, whether he tried to ignore it or not.

He was in the process of trying to rub his eyes with his fists and maybe stop the wretched waterworks when a couple of quiet knocks came at the door to the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse. William nearly leapt out of his skin, jolting back against the wall suddenly and lightly thumping his head.

The head of Fluttershy quietly nosed her way in through the unlatched door, a look of both worry and relief on her face.

"I kind of thought that I'd find you out here," she gave a little smile and spoke softly, and William fought harder to make himself stop crying.

"Not much of a secret headquarters then, is it?" William struggled to clear his throat, and Fluttershy nodded with a little titter.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders," she grinned peacefully. "Most widely known secret in Ponyville."

Neither of them spoke for a few moments, and Fluttershy only stood in the open doorway.

"Um, I know I'm not really a super important member of your 'top secret special organization', but do you mind if I come in out of the cold for a tiny bit?"

"I was just leaving," William shook his head swiftly and wearily huddled closer to himself.

"Where to, if I may be so bold to ask?" the pegasus pried gently.

The boy only shrugged without looking at her.

After a couple of seconds, Fluttershy said "You know, everypony is awfully worried about where you ran off to."

She held the wooden door wide open, beckoning him forward.

"Really?" William crossed his arms coldly as a bitter look etched onto his face. "Because that's not what it _sounded _like."

Fluttershy sighed sadly, bridging the distance between them slowly and giving him a little hug with the tips of her wings. He flinched, but she only sat down beside him.

"I know, Will."

"My name is William."

"I know, William," Fluttershy nodded softly, a little smile tugging at her lips, but it quickly faded. "And I know that it must have sounded pretty bad."

He only pulled his legs up to his chest again, his face losing all expression.

"… Nobody wants me. It doesn't matter where I go, nobody really wants me."

"That's _not _true," Fluttershy rebuked him tenderly. "Not even a little bit."

William only extended a hand facing upward toward the direction that they had both come from, a furrowed and hostile scowl coming forth.

Fluttershy bit her lower lip, and exhaled slowly.

"Will, it's-it's not that nopony _wants you around."_

"Again. Sure doesn't _sound _like that."

She only sighed more heavily, and lightly placed a pale yellow wing over his shoulder.

"They're just _scared_, William."

He blinked at the unexpected reply, thinking.

"… Why?" William asked in confusion, a little hurt.

Fluttershy only shook her head, and said "Ponies are always going to be a little afraid of what they don't really understand, Will. It's equine nature."

"But I-I didn't _do _anything…" he pulled at his fingers despondently, as if he could wrest the idea itself away. "Did… did I? Why would anyone _fear _me? I'm a perfectly _reasonable _fellow!"

She began to retort that the 'reasonable fellow' had run away on multiple accounts, but bit her lip once again.

Fluttershy repositioned her wing behind him, giving him a careful little hug before she pulled away to face him properly. She took a deep breath, fortifying her resolve.

"It's not so much you that they're afraid of…"

"No," William shook his head slowly. "It's… my father… isn't it, Miss Fluttershy?"

"Discord is –"

_"Don't give me that."_

She blinked in surprise at his sudden shift, and was so disturbed by the immediate change that she had to force herself to stay still. It was as if his whole being had become… colder. He could have radiated chill, and Fluttershy strained not to shiver at the look he was giving her with those frigid, pale eyes.

There was something _wrong with his eyes._

She felt a shudder ripple up her spine, and she internally shook herself as she struggled to speak. William was all too glad to cut her off, though.

"I _know _that you know something," he said quietly, the icy tone leaving his voice as he looked away. "It seems like everyone but _me _does. And before you deny it," William glared at her again, but the cruel look had long since been replaced with a sad one. "Before you do, I do hope that you take into consideration that I am not some blithering incompetent fool. I retain the capacity to theorize, you know."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"I had already suspected that Miss Dash knew something of my biological parents beforehand, but those were merely suspicions. It seemed like far too much of a coincidence when Miss Pie nearly suffered cardiac arrest after I asked her, and it took me but a short time to differentiate between my intended question and her reaction. And to top it off Scootaloo – _Scootaloo_, of all people – even meddled about, curious about my biological parents, which was just the icing on the cake."

Fluttershy didn't honestly know how to react to his small tirade, and he huffed tiredly as he rubbed his eyes with his little fists again. It tore at Fluttershy's heart to see another in so much distress, and she chose her words carefully.

"… Yes. It's true," she replied softly. "There's an awful lot that you haven't been told."

"Why?" he asked, the despair creeping into his voice once again as he looked pleadingly at her. "_Why?_ Am I truly so untrustworthy? Have I unknowingly done something to _alienate _myself or draw ire?"

Fluttershy shook her head again slowly, and said "No, Will. It's because nopony wants to see you get _hurt_."

He started to speak again, only to stop himself. William pondered prudently, thinking his words over.

"Regardless," he stared at her. "I am perfectly capable of responsibly and maturely coping, and deserve to know the _truth_."

"You just ran away," Fluttershy said pointedly, and he looked away guiltily. "_Again_."

"Beside the point…" William mumbled, crossing his arms again.

"And I have my own reasons for not telling you," Fluttershy insisted. "Not just because I really am worried about what it would do to you because you're so young, but also because I don't think that Rainbow Dash would _ever _forgive me."

"Why not?" he cocked an eyebrow suspiciously.

"That's really not my place to say," Fluttershy said uncomfortably. "And you aren't mature enough."

"Excellent," William nodded, reclining against the wooden wall. "Then I shall continue to be 'immature' and refuse to leave this spot until someone tells me."

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, and exhaled quietly. He smirked at her smugly and wriggled his eyebrows tantalizingly, daring her to bend her will.

"That isn't _funny_, William," Fluttershy stared hard at him, and he shifted uneasily from the look. "I mean it. That kind of thing is something that I just can't _tell _you."

"Because you think I can't handle it," William frowned sourly.

"Because it would _destroy _your mother."

He blinked again, unconsciously gawking at her.

"I'm serious, William," Fluttershy looked directly at him sadly. "If Rainbow Dash ever found out that you knew, it would eat her up. It's just something that you're not _allowed _to know."

William quietly took her hoof in his hands, and looked her dead in the eyes. There was no icy stare, no teary plea. Only cunning, intelligent calculation.

"_Please_. I _need _to know. Wouldn't it be so much _better _to learn the _truth _from you now than it would be to garner bits of information on my own as I _have_, and potentially arrive at the _wrong _conclusion?"

She contemplated his logic for a few moments, mulling it over nervously. She supposed it would be worse for him in the long run if such a thing were to happen and he did indeed think the wrong thing…

But what if she only made it worse? Or what if he found out from somepony who didn't know how to break the news delicately?

Fluttershy chewed her lip in thought, twirling one end of her long, vibrantly pink mane around her hoof. Torn as she was, William spotted his opportunity and struck while the iron was hot.

"Miss Fluttershy, perhaps learning the truth could finally allow for _proper _communication, and I could address the situations and issues as required instead of _blindly_, as I already am."

Oh, he was a _devious _one.

Fluttershy was no fool; she could recognize the manipulative words at ease. But just as well, she detected the urgency behind it – the dejection and childishness in his unnaturally mature tone.

"William, you see… It all started with Discord..."

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

(And now, a word from our sponsors.)

I can hardly liken myself to the poetic genius of Shakespeare, nor can I claim similar intrinsic entertainment that many of his screenplays and creations hold. However, despite this unfortunate fact (or maybe because of it, I've been doing some thinking) I still put a lot of thought, time, and effort into what I write. I think that the same can be said of most authors – which brings me to my topic.

To all authors…

IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU.

Get that through your skulls. YES, the author is a crucial part of any story; obviously. Regardless, the author is not the most important PART of a story. Some could claim that the importance lies on the symbolism used, and on that note (SPOILERS!), it is not all that important either. Yes, it's fine for an author to use symbolism in their story – it IS their story, after all. But it isn't of the highest importance, and it isn't so much about WHAT the reader takes away from the story (although that part is pretty important, but not what I'm focusing on) but IF the reader takes away anything from the story.

It's fine for a story to have a central idea or theme, but it should also leave enough room for readers to draw their own conclusions and make what they will of it; that's one of the things that made the works of Shakespeare so great. They could be interpreted in a lot of different ways, dissected and understood or just easily enjoyed. Again, I cannot in good conscience compare myself to one of the greatest writers of his time (kindly ignore the 'GREATEST AUTHOR TO HAVE EVER LIVED' shtick), but I sometimes like to pretend that the stories I create are given the worthy amount of attention and effort to develop their own characters, themes, and complexities as they progress.

TLDR: The author should spend less time patting him/herself on the back and more time ensuring that sufficient communication of emotions and ideas is properly conveyed in order to write a decent story.


	11. Ch11: All The King's Horses

0-0-0-0-0

"William?" Rainbow Dash yelled in panic as she soared over treetop after treetop, no sign of the boy on the ground below. "William, where are you?!"

Dash hurtled herself downward in a swift swoop once again, scouring as hard as she could in the dark for any clues to where he might have gone. Her heart throbbed painfully in her throat, and every beat pounded sickeningly in reminder that another moment was passing that he could be in danger.

Once more, Rainbow Dash resisted the urge to be sick, and she let out a tormented whimper as her wings ruffled against her sides uneasily. She prepared to take off again, and leapt high into the air.

Perhaps he was somewhere in town?

Dropping onto rooftop from rooftop, in between alleys and desperately asking late-traveling ponies for any sign of William, Rainbow Dash was on the verge of a complete meltdown when she nearly bumped headfirst into none other than Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie!" Dash grappled her shoulders, the pink mare's mane as disheveled as her own. "Pinkie, did Twi or anypony find –!"

"Easy, Dashie, _easy_!" Pinkie Pie tried to calm her down and pull her from the center of the road and onto a sidewalk. "I'm glad I found you; how come you didn't stick to Twilight's search plans?"

"Did you find William or _not_?!" Dash shouted, nearly crying again.

"Not yet, but –"

Rainbow Dash attempted to simply take off again, only for Pinkie to snag her wing.

"Leggo!" she flailed, stomping back to the ground angrily. "Let go of me, Pinkie! I have to find William!"

"Not until you calm down!" Pinkie insisted, refusing to release her.

"Calm down?!" Rainbow Dash spluttered in rage. "Pinkie, William is _missing_! I –"

"Have no _chance _of ever finding him if you just keep flying around senselessly," Pinkie Pie finished for her. She mused quietly to herself for a bare second. It wasn't often that she was the voice of reason.

Dash had a retort on her tongue, but she bit it back tearfully.

Pinkie was right, of course.

It had been her own vain hopes that she could simply find William on her own, that covering as much ground as possible as quickly as she could would find him the fastest. Couldn't any of them understand just how badly she needed to find her son?

"It's going to be okay, Dashie," Pinkie Pie hugged her softly, pulling her into a gentle hug. "It's going to be all right, we're going to find him. It's going to be okay. I Pinkie Promise."

Rainbow Dash sobbed into Pinkie's shoulder, her knees buckling from the combined exhaustion and seemingly endless fear. She cried long and hard, Pinkie supporting her the entire time and patting her back, never once letting go.

After a couple of minutes, Dash finally collected herself and wiped her eyes and nose with the crook of her elbow, looking away from Pinkie shamefacedly.

"We're going to find him, Dashie," Pinkie's own voice sounded a little croaky, but her weak smile was still there. "It's going to be okay."

"Right. Right," Rainbow Dash shook herself. "We'll find him. I'll find William, even if it takes all_ damned night –"_

"Hey, there y'all are!"

They jumped at the sound of Applejack's voice, speedily trotting around a corner and beneath a lamplight.

"Applejack!" Dash perked up immediately. "Any sign of William?"

"Eeyup," she grinned, which only grew wider at the flooding look of relief on their faces. "You ain't gonna believe where Fluttershy found 'im…"

0-0-0-0-0

"I don't understand."

"Well, it's…" Fluttershy began uncomfortably, fidgeting. "I mean… It's not that – hoo, wow. Maybe I bit off a little more than I could chew with this one," she tittered awkwardly.

"You're being very vague about the entire ordeal," William pondered quietly. He slowly stood after the pegasus, and held the clubhouse door for her.

"Oh, I think I was, um… clear enough," Fluttershy insisted, trotting past him.

"Daddy hurt Mommy isn't anything aside from the murkiest description imaginable," William argued, following her now that his curiosity was piqued. "It is completely inane."

"Well, Will," the flustered pegasus struggled to explain. "Rainbow Dash was… was hurt. Um, very, very badly by-by your biological father…"

"We have established this," William rolled his small hand through the air, walking slowly beside her along the path as she led him.

Fluttershy bit her tongue, thinking. It was obvious that he was irritated, but she really was being ambiguous – not completely deliberately. It was just something that she didn't look forward to explaining. However, she was the adult, and needed to behave as such in the situation; so, Fluttershy drew in a deep breath, braced herself, and plowed on.

"Dash went through a lot," Fluttershy tried to clarify. "Nopony is really surprised that she doesn't want to talk about it."

"And nobody will tell me why," William clutched the air futilely, a scowl returning to his face.

"Because your father was a monster."

Fluttershy almost didn't notice for a couple of moments that William was no longer walking beside her, and she turned quickly and trotted back to the boy. He bore an odd expression on his face, unblinking.

"Um, Will –?"

"Monster."

She really didn't know how to respond to the, quite truthfully, creepy stare that he was giving her. William let the word roll over his lips again, passing between them with a cold bite.

"Monster. You called my father a _monster_."

Fluttershy was silent for a moment, but Will cut her off before she could speak.

"And… you think that I take after him."

"No, no," Fluttershy insisted quickly, brushing a lock of pink mane from her face, the cool night air nipping unpleasantly at her back. "Will, nopony –"

"Do you have any idea?" William interrupted again, a sharp tint in his voice. Fluttershy resisted the urge to cringe from the bizarre look he was giving her, and looked away. "Do you have any idea of just how often Miss Dash cries herself to sleep?"

She mulled over this information momentarily, and turned back to the boy. The odd, sharp gaze was just as firm – but there was sorrow in it, a premature weariness. William held her stare for a long moment, almost pleadingly.

"I didn't know that," Fluttershy admitted softly.

"She does. She has, and she does. She cries sometimes. In her sleep, I mean. I can hear her, even when she tries to hide it. Sometimes, she calls out for someone that isn't there. And it pains me. I know that Miss – that Mother has… issues," William struggled suddenly, gripping desperately at his own hands. "But believe me when I say that I honestly believe that she is a good woman. Mostly."

"Will," Fluttershy began awkwardly. "You know –"

"My name is William."

"William," she corrected herself quietly. "Some of us feel that Rainbow Dash might be – well, what I mean to say is –" Fluttershy stuttered, her wings ruffling along her back as she tried to walk slowly alongside him.

She took a deep breath, and asked "Will, has Rainbow Dash… hurt you, at all?"

"What?" William blanched, apparently stunned enough to cease walking altogether. He chuckled nervously, the odd look in his eyes coming back. "Surely you-you aren't serious. Why, Mother is – she's as harmless as the rocks beside the road," he gestured to his side, as if it would prove his point. "She wouldn't harm a soul!"

"You don't sound very sure of yourself," Fluttershy pointed out softly, nudging him to continue plodding forward.

And surprisingly, William had no ready answer to that.

"… Pinkie Pie told me what happened, Will."

"… So I see."

"Little fillies and colts don't act like that, William," Fluttershy said quietly, nudging him forward when he stopped. "You really, really upset Pinkie Pie when you did that."

He cringed openly, and Fluttershy once again watched him silently wringing his hands. The boy seemed to have an obsession with constantly touching his own hands, and it was a little unnerving. Like he was checking to see if they were still there, or something.

"I-I'm sorry." He hung his head remorsefully, looking truly repentant. "I am – truly – sorry. I was… merely attempting to display affection," William struggled uncharacteristically, his thin brows furrowing deeply.

"It's okay, Will," Fluttershy patted him softly on the shoulder, pulling him into a little hug. "But now what?"

"Sorry?"

William blinked, coming to a full stop along with her and meeting her eyes. He hadn't expected her to say anything of the sort.

"Now what?" Fluttershy asked again. "What are you going to do about it?"

William contemplated for a long moment, holding his chin in his hand and covering his mouth.

"… Why did you ask that?" he pried suspiciously, only for the pegasus to smile kindly as she drew away.

"Oh, you're a very clever little colt," she explained quietly. "I assumed that you might have some idea of the direction you wanted to take so that you could resolve the problem."

And in that moment, although he was far too proud to admit it, William gained an enormous amount of respect for Fluttershy.

He still had a sneaking suspicion that Fluttershy knew, though.

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 24 –_

I am a weak minded, easily manipulated buffoon.

Surely this must be the case, as it took hardly any coercion from Miss Fluttershy to convince me to come back, after I vowed that I would never return.

To state that Miss Dash was pleased upon my return would be an egregious understatement.

In some parts, I do regret my actions.

In many parts, to tell the truth.

I do not believe that I have ever seen Mother so distraught, and –

* * *

I had to take a moment to reevaluate my priorities, and I have arrived at a conclusion.

My repeat offenses are obviously doing nothing but harm to Mother's psyche.

The… _tête-à-tête_ when I returned confirmed this.

I don't know what I should do.

It is late; or, early, rather. My mind is heavy, and I do not wish to continue.

We shall address the issues at hoof hand sometime today.

And perhaps I shall finally learn precisely who this 'Neil' character truly is.

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,

And every tongue brings in a several tale,

And every tale condemns me for a villain.

Richard III Act


	12. Ch12: House Of The Rising Son

0-0-0-0-0

"Alright, alright," Pinkie Pie slurred sleepily, gently nudging William further down the sofa. "Scooch, scooch. I'm goin'. _Scooch_."

William nodded tiredly, complying to the bedraggled mare's request. He scurried over the cushions, making himself comfortable as Pinkie Pie flopped onto the couch. William rubbed his eyes, remorsefully wishing that he had attempted to haggle for more sleeping time – but the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice emanating from the kitchen slowly jarred him awake.

"Coffee comin'," Dash murmured, her voice sounding a little croaky. "Will."

"Hmm?" he tilted his head up, having previously been lost in thought.

"_Sugar_, Will," Rainbow Dash poked her head in through the doorway. "One lump, or two?"

"Black, please." William nodded gratefully, curling up with his knees beneath him.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie grinned ecstatically. "Do you –?"

"No," Dash deadpanned automatically. "No, I do not have any more whipped cream, Pinks."

Which seemed odd to William. He could have sworn that they had nearly an entire container full just the other day. He continued distracting himself with a loose string on the sofa, deliberately remaining silent and not drawing attention to himself. It shouldn't be much longer before the others arrived, and Twilight would continue from where they had left off the night previously.

William again wondered why Pinkie Pie had stayed the night, but none of the others had. It seemed like a more convenient method, if they were all going to be back in the morning. Plus, Rainbow Dash hadn't slept in his room. He was loath to admit it, but all the sudden changes were making him even more uneasy.

The mare sighed heavily, disappointment evident on her face. She shook her head sadly, but perked up afterwards when Dash asked her the same question.

"One lump, or two?"

"Just one," Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "But _quadruple _that."

"… That's _four_, Pinkie Pie," Dash said flatly.

"I know," she nodded. "I'm really cutting back."

Rainbow Dash snorted, trotting off and eventually returning with three ceramic cups of freshly brewed coffee, which William noted were carried with unexpected grace with her mouth. He was sincerely surprised that she didn't drop a single one, and gladly took his own while Dash made herself comfortable on the opposite side, leaving him sitting between the two.

After thoroughly shining the handle with his sleeve, of course.

They sat in silence for a long while, the only sounds coming from the happily chirruping birds as the morning sun began to clamber over the edge of the world. William breathed in deeply through his nostrils, letting the scent of the tantalizingly hot brew waft over his senses. Before, William only had coffee on occasion – Sister Francis sometimes took pity on him and allowed him a single cup in the mornings, and it was always cheap, weak stuff.

Equestrian coffee, it would seem, was much stronger; however, it also bore a heavy zing along with its slightly bitter taste, giving it an oddly attractive and simultaneously distasteful tang. He shrugged internally, assuming that it must be an acquired taste.

It was nearly remedial, with a comfortable silence.

Even the normally bubbly Pinkie Pie was quiet, eyes closed, peacefully sipping at her coffee – when it suddenly occurred to William that he had absolutely no idea how she or Dash were managing to hold their mugs. He gawked at the handle of his own for a full minute.

They didn't even have _fingers_. Why did their coffee cups have _handles_?

"Don't think about it too hard," Pinkie mumbled and cracked an eye open, as if sensing his confusion.

He started to retort, but only closed his mouth and shook his head. It was clear that there were still many things he had left to learn.

Rainbow Dash breathed heavily through her nose, eyeing the clock on the wall as it ticked closer and closer to the scheduled time. She dreaded it, almost; but without being a second late, Twilight's knock at the door alerted them to her presence.

They filed in with the expected genial greetings, all smiling friendlily and tumbling inside quietly. Twilight and Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity. William was all but ignoring them to focus solely on his drink, but a conversation with Pinkie Pie drew him away.

"Good morning, Pinkie," Twilight said with a hint of surprise. "I suppose that would explain why you weren't at Sugarcube Corner. You're unexpectedly punctual today, I see."

"Oh," Pinkie laughed a little too loudly, placing her hooves together uncomfortably. "Punctual. You know me, preferably punctual Pinkie Pie!" she laughed again awkwardly, and cleared her throat before changing the subject.

"Well, _actually _–" William began, only to discover that a fuzzy pink hoof had mysteriously found its way over his mouth.

"Tally-ho!" Pinkie quickly scooted in chairs for the others, excitedly gathering everypony around in a semicircle toward the couch so that they were all facing each other. They all settled in uncomfortably, and Twilight cleared her throat before taking control.

"Right," the unicorn stated. "Now that everypony has had a decent night's sleep-"

Rainbow Dash coughed suddenly quietly into her hoof, shuffling restlessly beside William.

"- we can properly initiate a little group therapy."

"Which, if you would have listened to me," Fluttershy interjected while somehow managing to not sound rude in the slightest. "Is really what we should have done in the first place when Pinkie and Rainbow Dash came back."

It grew deathly silent in the room, and William stared at them all. Even Fluttershy seemed horridly perturbed by the atmosphere, and promptly attempted to hide behind her drapes of pink mane.

"I-I mean, um-well-I-I mean, um," she tried to hide a pink tinge. "If-if that really would – I'm sorry, forget I said anything." Fluttershy hung her head, crawling backward into her seat.

"No, no," Twilight shook her head. "You're _absolutely _right, Fluttershy. It's just that, well… everypony was a little, er… tense at the time-"

"Ain't that th' truth," Applejack nodded. "You'd be awful surprised at just how hard o' hearing some ponies can be when under stress. Huh, Twilight?"

The unicorn cleared her throat again loudly, giving a little frown.

"That – well, that was – can we get to the topic at hoof, please?" she furrowed her brows, her lips turning into a sharp slant.

"I agree," William added without warning, and Rainbow Dash started. She had almost forgotten that the silent boy was beside her. "I believe I know of the 'incident' to which you are referring."

Twilight stared hard at William, and his gaze met her own.

"Of course you do," she said casually. "Now-"

"Tell me what my father did."

Twilight felt a bead of sweat forming on her brow, and the attention of all those present was drawn to the boy. The look he was giving her as he sat before her in his pajamas – it was so bizarre to Twilight, seeing a colt looking so intimidating and sounding so disturbing.

He didn't request, or plead. He didn't bargain.

William demanded answers, and all without raising his voice.

Twilight cleared her throat again, realizing that she had been staring. Rainbow Dash gradually slid a protective wing over his shoulder, pulling the child a little closer to herself. However, his sharp watch never left her.

"Well, William…" she chuckled nervously, looking around for a little help. "That's a rather touchy subject that we can get to in-in time…"

"Mother?" he turned his head toward Rainbow Dash slowly. "Has this not been put off long en- Mother, are you well?"

Rainbow Dash had gained an ominous, darkened look to her downcast face, and William suddenly felt much less safe in her embrace. However, she shook her head and the look slowly faded.

"… Yeah. Yeah," she whispered croakily, hugging him close. "We've been-been putting it off long enough."

Pinkie Pie laid a comforting hoof on her own, giving it a gentle squeeze with a soft little smile.

It took absolutely no more than that to break down every single defense that Rainbow Dash had been building for the last few hours, leaving her silently weeping in front of them all.

William swore that he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach, watching her eyes turn blotchy and red.

"I-I know this is hard," Twilight began softly, uncomfortably looking from Dash to William, to Pinkie. "I know-"

"_Fuck _you," Rainbow Dash growled, the sudden burst of profanity almost burning William's ears. Dash felt Pinkie's grip grow a little bit tighter, effectively trapping William between them. "You don't. You_ don't _know, just shut-"

"Dashie."

William was a little put off by Pinkie's seemingly effortless attempt to silence the bitter mare, but Rainbow Dash did quiet herself at the sound of her voice.

"It's okay, Dashie," Pinkie Pie said sadly. "You know – everypony here knows – that she didn't mean it like that. Everypony only wants to help, Rainbow Dash."

Despite his endless curiosity, William was growing more and more certain that he honestly did not really want to know precisely what had transpired that Rainbow Dash could turn so hostile at the drop of a hat.

"You know it, Pinkie," Applejack nodded sagely. "Heck, we wouldn't be here at all if'n we didn't care so much about ya."

Fluttershy unexpectedly jabbed the farm pony in the ribs, and she nearly lost her trademark Stetson hat from the surprise. Applejack cleared her throat uneasily, an awkward guilty laugh breaking from her throat.

"And, uh…" she shuffled beneath the iron gaze of Fluttershy. "And I-I guess I got an apology t'make to you, Rainbow Dash. It just ain't right of me to go turning somepony away just because of their young un' – I mean, not that it's your fault, about Will – I mean, not that he's –"

Pinkie Pie deadpanned, silently miming digging with a shovel.

"Applejack feels just terrible for judging and holding a grudge for something your colt didn't do," Rarity proffered helpfully, and Applejack let out a silent sigh of relief before tipping her Stetson hat to the tired unicorn.

"Close 'nough."

"All anypony wants to do is help, Rainbow," Twilight said truthfully. She placed her hooves together after placing on a pair of small black spectacles, a bundle of collected papers before her. "And this way, with group therapy, is the best way that we can all manage and simultaneously ensure that you aren't separated from your son. Nopony wants to see that happen."

Rainbow Dash choked out a mumbled apology, straining to clear her face.

"Just take all the time you need, Rainbow," Twilight said softly as Pinkie Pie passed her a box of tissues, which Dash nodded gratefully for. "We're all here for you."

Rainbow Dash blew her nose, and cleared her throat loudly. When she revealed her face, William noted that she had once more gained that pained, dark look from before. She stared down hard at him for a long, uncomfortably silent minute before kissing him softly on the head and gradually pulling her wings away and close to her sides.

"Why don't you start at the beginning," Fluttershy suggested. "From where you want to start, and we'll build from there. Okay?"

Twilight nodded. "I was just about to propose the same thing."

Dash took in a long, labored and rattling breath, and took her time in exhaling shakily. She braced herself, tensing repeatedly beside William as she gripped the arm of the sofa.

"… Pinkie Pie tells me that his name was 'Neil'. To me… he was only 'Master'."

There it was again.

That name.

William had to force himself to keep from involuntarily shuddering, a cold tingle arching at the base of his spine.

"Um…" Pinkie spoke suddenly. "Are-are you sure it's such a good idea to have Will-"

Applejack cut her off, as it was clear that Rainbow Dash was having enough difficulty speaking as it was. Her hooves were shaking, and her wings were constantly twitching as if she were resisting the urge to unfurl them violently. She reminded William of a barely contained wild animal, one that was ready to snap at a moment's notice. In effect, almost an exact opposite of the Rainbow Dash that he knew. She was always so controlled, even when she was absolutely furious.

The way she was behaving now, though, absolutely terrified him.

As if sensing his unease, Pinkie Pie drew him a little closer to herself; and though he initially tried to break contact, he soon gave up. William simply felt a bit safer with Pinkie Pie at the moment.

"I don't remember how long it was," Dash's voice came out in barely a whisper, and William swore that he could have heard a pin drop. "I-I'm sorry that I was so wrapped up with myself before that-"

She shook her head furiously, grinding her teeth.

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash," Twilight reached for her. "We can stop if you want."

Dash looked at her miserably, and opened her mouth to agree; however, she only shook her head again.

"No. No," she croaked. "I should have gotten the whole thing off my chest as soon as I could, instead of letting my friends pick up the pieces."

"Well, technically," Twilight said uncomfortably. "Most of what we know came from Pinkie Pie."

The pink mare froze suddenly, and William almost thought that he heard her _heart _stop.

"Right," Rainbow Dash breathed, her eyes locked on some faraway object. "When she came after me."

Pinkie released her chokehold on William, but still remained awkwardly tense.

Dash shook her head again, staring at the floor. She was silent for several more minutes, simply straining to find the right words.

"He _broke _me," she blurted suddenly, holding her hooves out with the bottoms up, pleadingly. "It wasn't my fault! I-I-I… he said you didn't _want _me anymore!" Rainbow Dash's voice grew louder and louder, shaking with every word.

"Dash, that isn't –"

"He _fucked _me! He fucking _broke me!_" Rainbow Dash screamed, covering her eyes with her wings and letting out a heartbreaking whimper. "I'm sorry. I'm _sorry_, I can't – I can't. I can't, I can't, I _can't…"_

Pinkie Pie hushed her quietly, slowly slipping away from William and rocking her back and forth.

"I know, Dashie. I know. It's okay, Dashie. Pinkie's got you. It's okay."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 24 –_

Ignorance is bliss.

**Author's Note:**

"If I am mad, it is mercy! May the gods pity the man who in his callousness can remain sane to the hideous end!"

― H.P. Lovecraft, The Temple


	13. Ch13: Diamonds Are Forever

0-0-0-0-0

_Post-traumatic stress disorder – most often instigated after experiencing severe or intense psychological or emotional trauma,_ William recited the textbook definition over and over again in his head as he walked. His feet stumbled over the ground, and he couldn't find the energy to lift them properly. Even if he could have, he was still too distracted to bother.

_Because your father was a monster._

_That is not how you show affection to somepony!_

_Ever seen a sunrise before, Squirt?_

_I DIDN'T WANT FOALS!_

_There's a good boy._

William trudged wordlessly, his mind caught in a furious whirlwind. He felt… emptier, somehow. It was as if his heart were on the verge of twinging in pain, but he was simply too blank and barren to feel it. Perhaps a more accurate description would be that he was left feeling shocked, and hollow… and strangely cold.

It was such a stark contrast to the warm, sunny atmosphere around him as he plodded through the cheery bog. It just seemed so unfair, how happy and bright the world seemed when he felt so miserable.

_I just want you to know that I love you, William._

_Only my closest friends call me Scoots._

_I didn't want a son! I didn't ASK for this!_

_You remind me so much of your father._

William stalked over the dirt for what felt like hours, eventually stumbling across a familiar weeping willow. It was the same one that he and Scootaloo had rested at previously, the cool shade presenting itself so openly for him.

He scowled bitterly at it, a hard lump beginning to form in his chest for reasons unknown. William kicked a rock at the tree, watching it bounce uselessly off of its rough bark. He stared out over the shimmering bog for a while, letting the sound of insects and wildlife fill his ears until the noise was nearly drowning out his thoughts. He honestly wished that they would, but his mind simply would not let him rest.

Once more, William found himself pacing down the empty path through the bog.

He collected a handful of rocks and stones along the way, slowly filling his hands with them to distract himself. Something, anything to take his mind off of previous thoughts. Thoughts so solid that they almost hurt him.

William paused in the middle of the path after a while, water creeping up the embankment on one side. He chucked a single rock out over the bog, attempting to make it skip; however, it only sank immediately instead of flying across the water. Much like his endeavors to distract himself, in some aspects.

Without warning, William began laughing hysterically.

His high pitched laughter filled the air, but it was an empty, dead laughter. High and cold, hollow and sharp. Still, his laughter rang out, muffled slightly as it was by the sheer emptiness of the bog.

"Shakespeare!" he cackled manically, clenching the stones in his fists so tightly that it made his fingers ache. "I'm living in a Shakespearean _play_! Come _on_, then!" he said a bit more loudly, turning his attention completely to the bog and holding his arms out to his sides.

"What are you _waiting _for?" he raised his voice a little more to no answer, flinging a rock hard and watching it promptly sink into the murky water. "Come on, then – where's the comedic relief? Stick to the play's _structure_, where's the_ comedic relief?"_ William was shouting by this point, hurtling stone after stone into the bog, each one making a larger splash than the last as he chucked them harder and harder.

"What's _taking _so long?!" William yelled angrily, his eyes beginning to sting painfully. "Draw the curtains – just let the show _end _already!" the plinking and plunking of rocks plunging into the water seemed so pitifully weak compared to just how hard he was throwing them, which only spurred him to throw them harder, until his hands and arms were burning.

_"Come on!"_ he shouted until his voice began to go hoarse, throwing rock after rock after rock. "Is this just some kind of cruel joke? Is it supposed to be funny? Is it _funny?_ Is it funny to you, God? Is it _fucking funny?!"_ William screamed, pebbles slipping from his fingers and crashing to the ground just before his knees did, his voice cracking and giving out as he fell. He choked back the simpering cry, his raw red hands clenching and unclenching empty air.

"God," William breathed shakily, the desolation of the bog his only reply. "Mother Mary, Jesus, Discord. Somebody. Somepony. Please. Please. _Please_."

William was used to loneliness. He was used to having his cries go unheard, to low expectations as he was looked over time and again. This, however… it was just too much to bear. He honestly had no idea why it hurt him so deeply, why it made his shoulders shake that no one would answer him, why it ached so badly, why he felt so painfully alone.

* * *

_"What was she like? Do you know?" William inquired curiously, his feet kicking off the edge of the wooden seat as the tired woman poured herself another cup of steaming brew._

_"I'm afraid I don't really know," Sister Francis shook her head slowly, curls of red hair waving back and forth as she did so. "That was about four or five years before my time here. Sister Clarence might know…" she left her sentence hanging._

_"Clarence is a vicious, wicked old biddy."_

_"William!" Francis scolded him sharply, but bit back a small grin. It WAS true – the matron did usually make life miserable for everyone around, whether deliberately or not. "Don't say things like that."_

_"I'm sorry, Sister Francis," he hung his head remorsefully._

_"Sure you are," she nodded without a hint of conviction, offering him a small cup of coffee. It was much earlier than anyone else arose, and he got it so rarely; but he took it nonetheless, the little plastic cup warming his fingers pleasantly as he sipped at it._

_"Aren't there any records?" William pried again, desperate for some information. Anything._

_Sister Francis sighed for the umpteenth time, a sliver of pity rising for the boy._

_"For the last time, Will," Francis shook her head, eyeing the aged clock on the wall. "I don't know anything more about your mother or father than I do half of the other children here."_

_He didn't hang his head this time. Instead, William only stared at her with his sharp, knowing gaze. It disturbed her slightly, like his eyes didn't match his body._

_"I promise to ask Cranky about it," she insisted quietly, patting him on the head. "Would that make you feel better?"_

_"Not particularly," William admitted. "I asked her before."_

_"You did?"_

_"Yes. Sister Clarence told me that I was the demon spawn of a clam and a very lonely penguin."_

_Francis stuffed her knuckles into her mouth to cover what sounded suspiciously like giggling, but managed to disguise it as a mysteriously powerful sneezing fit._

_"I'm sure that she's just being her cranky old self, Will," Sister Francis said softly, patting him on the head._

_"She picks on me," he frowned. "I can tell. She deliberately picks me out because I question her authority."_

_"Well, don't question her authority," Sister Francis tittered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You should be thanking God above that she takes so much out of her time to give to the orphans instead of questioning her."_

_"There is no God."_

_William reeled from the sudden backhand, his cheek stinging painfully from the slap. The hot coffee burned him as he spilled it on himself, and he dropped the cup to the floor with a loud splat._

_"Out," Francis angrily handed him a handful of paper towels. "I want thirty Hail Marys, and the next time you're getting your mouth washed out with soap. Understood?"_

_"… Yes, Sister Francis."_

_"There's a good boy." _

* * *

The only way William could properly describe how he felt was 'painfully cold'.

It was as if a hard lump had forcibly formed in his chest where his heart used to be. It was a tense, chilling bulge that radiated a sickness, a tightness and icy anger and bitterness that spread into his throat and made his stomach turn.

It was preferable to being miserable.

It had taken William a long time to pull himself together, but he had done it; all on his own, as he always had. He stomped angrily along, his feet leaving small imprints in the dirt as he backtracked and wandered at random. He didn't need anyone else, anyway. The only thing other people were even good for was a momentary distraction before he could lose himself in his books again.

It was this same hateful, acrimonious tautness in him that clouded his mind the entire way. He didn't even bother fighting it anymore, because it had to be better than thinking so clearly of precisely what Rainbow Dash had gone through. It wasn't long before the bog began turning into multiple creeks, which in turn led him back toward Ponyville's only small lake.

_Monster._

Maybe he _was _a monster. Maybe it was because he was different, that he was always left alone. It couldn't have been a mere coincidence that he had been sent outside; chances were that she just couldn't bear to look at him any longer.

William felt the spiteful, angry sick feeling clawing at his chest again, and he viciously kicked a small shrub alongside the road. It was a tough little thing, though; it simply bended with his kick, flopping easily back to its previous position. He angrily kicked it again, to absolutely no avail.

He then coldly ignored the shrub after that, swearing under his breath that it just wasn't worth his time.

With his hands thrust deeply into his pockets, William slogged along the empty road, dreading his return to Ponyville. A part of him wanted to go back to the bog where he and Scootaloo had been before, the same dim hope that she would be there this time rising again. He knew she wouldn't, though, and it was a silly thought. It was silly to be feeling desperate for her company. Silly. Childish.

William was entrenched in these kinds of unhappy, joyless thoughts when he at last spotted another sign of life. He had expected other ponies to be along the banks of Ponyville Lake – it was a popular little spot, with several trees hanging cozily over the sandy bank and casting long, arching shadows over the cool water.

Sitting rather forlornly on an ivory colored bench facing the water was none other than his dreaded foe, Diamond Tiara.

Mildly surprised, he almost turned around and marched in another direction; to be honest, he didn't feel at all up to facing down the filly. She didn't seem to even notice him, however. Her white and violet mane was surprisingly bedraggled instead of its usual neatly brushed self, and the closer he drew the more he noticed that she was sniveling dejectedly. Her shoulders were slumped, and as a sliver of curiosity grew large enough to pull him closer, he spotted a pair of robin's egg blue framed glasses in her hooves.

She sat completely alone, staring out over the lake as the morning sun shone over it with quiet little ripples, nary another soul in sight.

She didn't even flinch when William wordlessly sat down beside her, hands clasped neatly in his lap.

Diamond Tiara said nothing for the longest time, merely sniffling miserably. It was obvious that she had been crying, as her eyes were red and blotchy.

"… Good morning, Miss Tiara," William said quietly, not looking at her. Instead, his eyes were trained on the same spot in the lake that hers were, where the wind toyed with the water and made it rise up in little waves periodically. "You appear to be rather… despondent, if I may say."

His voice was bland and empty, and showed as little emotion as his face did.

"Yeah." The filly replied simply, her voice coming out in a croak, turning the glasses over in her hooves without looking at them. "It's… it's been a rough couple of days."

"I believe that I may share that sentiment," William said softly after a couple of moments had passed. The happy chirruping of birds from an overhanging tree by the lake noisily interrupted, as if they could cheer the whole area simply by singing for them. He refused to feel anything at all for the filly, regardless of how wretched she might have seemed. It couldn't be anything at all compared to what he was feeling.

Diamond Tiara said nothing, only staring out blankly over the lake and continuously fiddling with the glasses, turning them over and over. She was very careful with them, like she was holding something precious. The closer William stole looks at them, the more quickly he realized that they looked unsettlingly familiar.

"Silver's gone." Diamond Tiara whispered eventually, ceasing her movements.

William felt his heart pound suddenly in his throat, his mind going unexpectedly, yet blissfully blank.

"… They said it was food poisoning," Diamond said after what felt like forever, neither of them daring to move. "But she was all alone when they found her. _Silver _– Silver is gone. Silver Spoon is gone."

Diamond Tiara's face was flushed, but she didn't let out a single sob. No noise escaped her lips whatsoever as the tears rolled down her cheeks, one after another as they came at last in full force.

William considered himself stronger than he had been years before, able to adequately handle whatever was placed before him with a cool head. If not, he was left feeling weak and incapable. Helpless.

William felt much like this at that moment, powerless before the wheels of fate themselves.

He hated feeling helpless just about more than anything.

In that moment, however, William was almost quite certain that he hated seeing the filly crying without a sound much, much more.

And so, even though he felt just as helpless as she did, William did the only thing that he could.

He held her close in his arms, and William cried just as hard as she did.

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

Mad World - Gary Jules


	14. Ch14: Burn, Baby, Burn

0-0-0-0-0

It was a long while before Diamond Tiara had finally cried herself out.

The shadows had shifted significantly, and the pair merely sat in silence as they watched the lake. William felt a small sense of satisfaction as he held the sniffling filly in his arms, although he knew it for what it was. It hadn't been him to make Diamond Tiara feel any better at all, even if he wanted to – she had simply cried for so long that she couldn't anymore.

He tried to cling to it, though it vanished as quickly as it had come. It acted as a momentary dam between the horrible reality that faced him.

Silver Spoon was gone.

He hadn't even known her as well as Diamond Tiara did – regardless, her loss still stung him like a backhanded slap to the soul. It just felt so unfair, so completely and irrationally unfair. After all he had done to try to save the filly, then she dies of food poisoning?

Something about it didn't quite sit right with William, and he was stiff as he held Diamond in his arms. He lost himself in dark thoughts, still as the bench beneath them as he stared out over the lake with her.

"Thank you."

"What?" William blinked, furrowing his thin brows in confusion. "Thank – sorry, what?"

"Thank you for always being there for me," Diamond Tiara wiped her eyes on his shirt (to his mild horror) and rested her cheek on his shoulder to wrap him in a weak hug.

"Oh. Er," he cleared his throat uncomfortably, the sudden intimacy causing him to tense up even further. "You're – you are quite welcome, Miss Tiara."

"You don't have any idea how much it matters to me." she sniffled again and hugged him tighter, rubbing her cheek against him. "Don't – don't _leave _me, William. Don't you ever, _ever _leave me."

She was an obstinate brat.

A selfish one, even in her time of mourning, Diamond Tiara was still attempting to throw around whatever influence she could for her own gain. It made the flare of anger roil in William again, until she began crying softly again. He instinctively patted her on the head, uncertain of just how one was supposed to provide support to a crying filly.

Perhaps her words weren't for her own personal gain.

Maybe, just maybe, Diamond was just very, very loney.

A shame. That such a pretty one would always be so angry.

"… Yes, Miss Tiara."

"Th-thanks, Will."

"You are quite welcome, Miss Tiara."

0-0-0-0-0

William waited patiently at the door, bracing his knuckles to rap on it again.

The time he had been requested to leave his own home (or as Applejack put it, 'play outside') had long since ended, more than double the initial time requirement. It was nearly midday by the time he finally returned home, his heart and mind heavy.

At first, he had considered making the trek to Sugarcube Corner…

But Pinkie Pie wouldn't be there, of course.

It was Fluttershy who finally pried open the door, and William watched her do so painfully slowly and with caution, just barely poking her head out enough to see who it was.

"Oh. Um. H-hello, William," Fluttershy blinked tiredly. "Back so soon?"

"It has been four hours, twelve minutes, and twenty-six seconds," William replied with a bland stare. "I can hardly say my return has been timely."

Fluttershy balked at him in amazement, her eyebrows rising a little.

"Oh, my," she shook her head. "That's very impressive. How can you tell time like that without a watch?"

Wordlessly, William pointed past her to the clock hanging on the wall behind her.

Fluttershy flushed deeply, pushing the door open to allow him entrance. To be honest, he was amazed that they were still carrying on with Rainbow Dash's group therapy. He briefly wondered if it would take all day… every day.

They were all still gathered around on chairs and the sofa, although from the looks of plates and cups, it had turned more into a tea party than anything else. Albeit, a tea party where everyone looked thoroughly depressed. Precisely what had he missed that made them all look so somber?

William cringed internally when Pinkie Pie began waving him over with a friendly smile, lighting up the moment he returned.

"Heyya, Will," she patted the cushion next to her. Pinkie sat beside Rainbow Dash this time, but made sure to scoot closer to the pegasus in order to make room for him. The clatter of the others having lunch of what appeared to be finely carved stalks of celery decorated with dabs of cinnamon was a bit distracting, and he assumed that the little faces on them were probably Pinkie Pie's idea. She offered him one, which he politely declined. "Have fun outside?"

"That would insinuate that I have been playing, Miss Pie," William stated quietly, folding his hands in his lap. "I do not play."

"Yeesh." Pinkie held up her hooves, desperate to lighten the mood. "Who died?"

"Silver Spoon."

It fell silent shortly afterwards.

"That's-that's not funny," Pinkie Pie said gravely, her mane beginning to droop a little. It disturbed him just how completely silent it was, and threw him off. The constant noise of chirruping birds and wind, the sounds of life in general were what he had accustomed himself to for the past few hours, which only served to make him even more noticeably uneasy.

"Nor is it a laughing matter," William nodded quietly. "Miss Tiara informs me that it was due to food poisoning. The funeral shall be held this evening. Mother?" he turned his head to the shocked Rainbow Dash. "If it is all the same to you, I should wish to attend the event at seven o'clock sharp."

Rainbow Dash was utterly wordless for a long moment, and Pinkie Pie bowed her head solemnly beside her.

"… Yeah. Yeah, we can-can go tonight, Squirt."

"Thank you, Mother. If you do not mind," he pushed away the plate of celery, not hungry in the slightest. "I would care to retire to my chambers for the time being. Good day."

And with that, the boy silently stalked down the hallway with all of their eyes locked onto his back the entire way, until he finally and noiselessly locked himself within the sanctity of his bedroom.

0-0-0-0-0

William sat on the edge of his bed, small black journal clasped so tightly in his hands that his knuckles began turning white.

His hands shook slightly as he stared at the cover, dully glaring at it as he thought.

A light pinging noise alerted him, making him jolt. He sat up straight immediately, listening intently for the source of the noise. Had it been Rainbow Dash? Or perhaps it was Pinkie Pie, she had stayed after all the others had left.

But once again, William heard the noise from close by and recognized it for the sound of gravel on glass. Peering cautiously out his window and seeing nothing, he quickly lifted it and examined the surrounding area closely.

Obviously not closely enough, as the moment he stuck his head out the window, an unfortunately large pebble struck him across the forehead.

William dropped the windowsill and caused it to slam loudly, which muffled his yelp of pain.

"Will?"

William rubbed his sore forehead bitterly, casting a dry look out at the horrified Scootaloo, who covered her mouth with one hoof sheepishly to hide back a guilty half grin.

"I apologize," he replied to Rainbow Dash's concerned call loudly without turning away from the orange pegasus. "I… dropped something! All is fine!"

It was quiet for a few moments, and he could have sworn that Rainbow Dash stood just outside his door. However, a couple of moments later, he heard her quietly conversing with Pinkie Pie in hushed tones, and he turned his attention back to Scootaloo.

This time cautiously ensuring that the window was propped open, William nodded politely to the breathless filly, who was nearly clambering in the window at this point.

"Heyya, Will!" Scootaloo grinned at him excitedly. "Where've you been? AB and Sweetie said – hey, what's up with the suit?"

William carefully lent her a hand to climb in through the window, and he self-consciously brushed and straightened his black attire.

"Miss Sparkle was kind enough to 'lend' it to me," he replied in a dull murmur, and it took her a second to realize that he was embarrassed. "The woman's explanation of magical transmogrification still manages to astound me, I'm afraid. Such an anomaly is perplexing, to say the least. I find it fascinating, still." William rambled on, hiding something beneath his pillow.

"You mean when Twilight and the others were here?" Scootaloo watched him pacing nervously, confused. "They told me you weren't here…" she said doubtfully.

"Got back a short while ago," William said distractedly, wringing his hands as he paced.

"That doesn't explain what the suit's for," the irritated pegasus grunted pointedly, making herself comfortable on her bed. She was growing more suspicious by the minute, and it was clear that he was attempting to disguise something. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" William said too quickly, clinging to his own hands uncomfortably. Scootaloo stared at him, and he let out a whistle of stress and agitation through his teeth.

"… There is to be a funeral shortly."

"Yikes," Scootaloo winced sharply, a sliver of guilt rising. "Sorry, Will. I didn't know," she rubbed her foreleg ruefully, unable to meet his gaze. "Was it somepony you knew?"

"It is Miss Spoon's funeral."

Scootaloo fell off the bed.

"What?" she spluttered in abject horror, scrabbling back atop the bed. "But – but – when…?"

"Miss Tiara informed me that it was food poisoning," William sat down on the edge of the bed between Scootaloo and his pillow, and clasped his hands together to keep them still. "I believe that there may have been some form of exterior motive."

"Jeez," Scootaloo ran a hoof through her shock of mane in distress and despair, her wide eyes locked onto the floor. "Jeez. Oh, jeez. Oh, jeez. Oh, cripes," she breathed over and over, hardly able to accept it.

Scootaloo shook her head eventually, her eyes stinging.

"I mean, I didn't like Silver Spoon," she cleared her throat. "But… but… I mean, jeez, Will. Just… _jeez_."

"I believe that you would greatly benefit by expanding your vocabulary," William retorted dryly, but his voice was soft and humorless.

"I believe that you're busted," Rainbow Dash's voice made them both jump, and this time it was William who fell from the bed. He hastily jumped to his feet, tidying his hair and straightening his modified clothing with a steadily reddening face.

"Care to tell me why Scootaloo is in my house? Again?" Dash looked down at him from the doorway expressionlessly, and he fiddled with his hands. When he failed to speak, she stole a glance at the window and back to the surprised pegasus. William could spot a snickering Pinkie Pie lurking just behind Rainbow Dash, which only served to make him even more flustered.

"It's – it was all me," Scootaloo held up a hoof and hung her head in shame. "It's not Will's fault, Rainbow Dash, _honest_. I just – just really wanted to, uh…" she ran a hoof through her mane again, her own cheeks growing pink. "Just really wanted to talk to Will, is… is all…" Scootaloo mumbled, her head dropping with every word until she was lying flat on the bed and covering her eyes with her hooves.

Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head, sharing a whisper with Pinkie Pie that William couldn't quite hear.

"Next time I catch you, you're getting thrown out," Rainbow Dash half frowned, letting a long breath out through her nostrils. "Understood?"

"Yes, Miss Dash. I understand," William nodded somberly, his face slowly draining of color as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"What?" Dash blinked, narrowing her eyes. "No – no, Will, not _you_. I was talking to _Scootaloo_."

He opened his mouth to reply, but once more it only came out in a slurred, nearly hysterical apology.

"Should – should I… _go_…?" Scootaloo pointed back toward the window uncomfortably, which made Pinkie Pie snort for some reason before trotting off back down the hall.

Rainbow Dash grinned and patted them both on the heads.

"Just use the _door _next time. 'Kay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Scootaloo nodded profusely, beaming back at her to match her sad smile. Rainbow Dash sighed again and slowly closed the door behind her, traipsing deliberately away. Her smile slowly faded as she walked, her face drooping a little as her heart became heavier.

"Like worm and hook, aren't they?" Pinkie Pie snickered, giving her a little peck on the cheek.

"Poor colt," Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Poor, dumb colt. He never stood a single chance."

0-0-0-0-0

William was rather surprised by the turnout to Silver Spoon's funeral.

He stood in silence beside Rainbow Dash, and what appeared to be nearly half the town showed up to mourn the loss of the grey filly. A single black unicorn with a perturbingly familiar skull and bones Cutie Mark was held in charge of conducting the funeral pyre, which blazed brilliantly against the night sky as a low orchestra of brass instruments was played.

A short service was held, in which many ponies paid their respects at the fire, each with a murmur or two before moving on. After Applejack placed her hat back on her head with a grim, mournful nod, he and Rainbow Dash stepped toward the blaze.

Within, William spotted the still burning closed casket between some of the bundles of sticks.

He was overcome by a suddenly powerful urge to jam his hand inside to pull it out, to scream that Silver Spoon was not really dead after all – she wasn't, she couldn't be. It was a fleeting fancy of denial, however, and he slowly placed his hands back in his pockets before burning them.

It was apparent that he was supposed to say something, and he could feel other eyes on him as they bowed their heads.

What was he supposed to say at a funeral, especially to someone who couldn't even hear him?

"I'm sorry."

And that was all he could manage to say.

It wasn't a long service, but it felt as if it dragged on for hours and hours. William spotted Diamond Tiara crying quietly with between her parents, but fought against the idea to stand by her side, opting instead to remain with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo, however, did appear to have words for Diamond Tiara – surprisingly, along with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

He felt Rainbow Dash's hoof resting on his shoulder, and she quietly said "Let's go home, Squirt."

William nodded dimly, before shaking his head.

"Actually," he cleared his throat nervously, eying around for a certain unicorn. "I-I have one last matter to attend to. If you don't mind, that is."

"Shake a leg," Pinkie pushed him forward gently. "We'll wait up for ya."

He nodded in silent gratitude before beginning his search for the black unicorn with the grey mane, his sights on Silver Spoon's parents long since lost.

Eventually, he found the unicorn stallion watching over the blaze with a small smile, which put William on alert.

Why would anyone be _smiling _like that at a funeral?

"Excuse me," William coughed into his hand directly behind the unicorn, causing him to start and slowly whirl around toward him.

"Oh!" he beamed down at the boy, a thin but unexpectedly melodic voice greeting him. "Hullo! You must be the Rainbow colt. Heard all about you, I did," the unicorn stuck out a hoof genially, allowing William to shake it. From what William could detect, the stallion possessed a mild brogue in his voice, which only put the boy even further on edge for some reason. Perhaps because it had been so completely unexpected.

"My name is William," he shook the black hoof quietly, before staring directly into his baleful grey eyes. "I couldn't help but notice your…" he nodded toward the stallion's Cutie Mark of the crossed bones over a pony's skull, and the unicorn nodded.

"Hm? Oh, ha ha!" he shook his head. "I get that all the time. Th' name's Sunny. Sunny White, Ponyville undertaker and general biological disposal manager."

"That sounds like an overly fancy term for someone who gets rid of bodies," William stated bluntly.

"… Where's your mom?" Sunny frowned, looking down on him again and furrowing his brows.

"I actually had a question for you," William blurted quickly, distracted as he was by the stallion's Cutie Mark. Usually, a pony's Cutie Mark was symbolic of their name. He could find nothing sunny at all about the skull and bones, oddly.

"There's no magic in the world that can do that, son," Sunny said darkly, assuming an angry, almost sad frown.

"What?" he blinked in confusion. "No, I-I wanted to know about Miss Spoon's parents."

The undertaker nodded in relief after a moment, and replied "Long gone. First to leave, actually. I guess they just didn't want to stay; it's pretty understandable, the death of a foal is always harsh enough as it is."

"Were they acting… _suspicious_, at all?" William pried, suddenly paranoid that someone were watching him.

"Suspicious?" Sunny scratched his chin with one hoof. "Uh, I don't think so. I mean, I guess. _Maybe_? Look, I've got – hullo, Carrot! How's the missus?" he waved friendlily before turning back to William. "I've got a lot to do as it is. If you're looking for somepony to blame, my sister does these great self-help books on dealing with grief that I think you could use. Pretty cheap, too."

"… Did you just try to sell me a _self-help_ book at a _funeral_?" William balked, unable to completely comprehend what had just occurred.

Sunny only shrugged, the sad look growing on his face again.

"Gotta make a living somehow. Seriously, though, Yolk could make a killing with her books-"

"You should consider rephrasing yourself," William crossed his arms unhappily, looking around for Scootaloo to abandon his quest altogether.

"_Look_, bucko, if you're not – afternoon, Mister Worthy! – if you're just going to waste my time, at least be entertaining. Try _juggling_, or something."

And with that, Sunny White left William both flabbergasted and utterly outraged simultaneously. The unicorn trotted off to the other side of the pyre, keeping it in check and smiling friendlily at more of the ponies.

"Have a nice night, Filthy! Hope to be seein' you again real soo- oh, wow. No, no, sir. That's not what I meant! That's not what I meant!"

0-0-0-0-0

William stared at them both in disbelief, feeling as if his poor mind had taken all the bludgeoning in a single day that it possibly could. Perhaps that was why his head felt a bit dull since he had to say goodbye to Scootaloo and during the long trek home.

He genuinely suspected that his brain would begin to melt should it suffer any more unpleasantness, but he wasn't certain whether this latest development was unpleasant or not.

"For… how long?" William asked, looking back and forth between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

"Well…" Pinkie slid a hoof behind his shoulder on the sofa and ruffled his hair as he sat between them. "I guess that depends. I'd love to stay with Dashie; with all my heart, I would. But we really thought that we should at least ask you about what you think, first."

William scratched his head uncomfortably, thinking. He didn't mind if Pinkie Pie were to live with them – after all, he did like Pinkie Pie an awful lot. But all the time?

"… Does this mean that you'll be making breakfast from now on?" he inquired. "Because Mother has a tendency of badly burning meat byproducts."

Pinkie Pie stifled a wild giggle, at which Rainbow Dash only raised an eyebrow wryly. Pinkie managed to finally clear her throat, and speak through her titters.

"You're talking to the mare who bakes for a _living_, kiddo."

After a moment, William shrugged.

"I don't see why not," he said.

"So… you don't mind?" Rainbow Dash asked quietly. "It doesn't… bother you, at all?"

"Of course not," William sniffed knowingly. "I think it's wonderful to have the addition of Miss Pie."

"See?" Pinkie lightly punched Rainbow Dash's shoulder with a hearty grin. "Told you. Nothing to worry about."

"Well," William began, hiding a yawn with his hand. "There is the issue of sleeping arrangement. I don't mind if you have my bed, if you want it. I can sleep on the floor."

Pinkie _d'aaawed_ and gave him a little hug, rubbing her cheek on his head. "If _you _aren't just sweet as seventeen pounds of sugar. But I've already got somewhere to sleep, Will, don't worry about me."

"Oh." He nodded tiredly, looking back to Rainbow Dash. "Very well. Mother? I shall continue to bed presently. I have very important investigations to begin tomorrow," he struggled to speak through his yawning, and Rainbow Dash pulled him into a light hug with her wings before kissing him on the cheek.

"Of course you do, Squirt. Take your flank to bed, before you keel over, already."

He nodded dimly, tottering off and leaving the two sitting silently for a while.

"… I don't think it's really sunk in," Rainbow Dash whispered after the house had been absolutely noiseless for a long time, rubbing her own eyes with her wingtips.

"Give him a little while," Pinkie nuzzled against her neck with a soft kiss. "He'll figure it out. He's a little off, but he can be a pretty smart colt," she giggled, playfully kissing her under the chin again before straddling the slyly smirking pegasus.

"I know. Just like his father."

Pinkie froze.

She stared up at Pinkie Pie, who looked away from her, hurt.

"… You know I meant Discord… right, Pinkie Pie?"

When she didn't answer, Rainbow Dash started up – only to be gently pushed back down by Pinkie Pie, who turned her sad gaze back to meet her.

"Pinkie. I'm sorry."

"No," she shook her head, resting her muzzle into Dash's neck and exhaling slowly and heavily. "I know who you were talking about, Dashie. I – I mean, it's just…" Pinkie strained, and her voice started to crack.

"You think I'm trying to replace Discord with you," Rainbow Dash slid her hooves onto Pinkie's back, and took her silence as an answer. "No, Pinkie Pie. It's not because I don't think that Discord is ever coming back. You don't have any idea just how much you mean to me."

Pinkie sighed against her, Rainbow Dash nuzzling her own chin and making her grin.

"I love you, Rainbow Dash."

"You and me both," Dash snickered in false arrogance, before smiling and meeting Pinkie's kiss with another. "I love you too, Pinks."

"You think he's asleep by now?" Pinkie asked, playfully tugging at her ear with her teeth.

"Ooh, I hope so. We're gonna _wear _this couch out," Rainbow Dash grinned seductively.

"_Damn _straight, we are."

It was only a matter of minutes before the two of them were fast asleep in each other's embrace.

0-0-0-0-0


	15. Ch15: Submission

0-0-0-0-0

William tossed and turned all night long, tormented by harrowing dreams.

Over and over again he awoke in a semiconscious terror, desperately struggling to escape the illusions. His nightmares all consisted of patterns in which he was trapped in small rooms that reminded him vaguely of Saint Claire's, vainly searching for Scootaloo. She never answered, no matter how many times he looked; he only found Silver Spoon behind every door he tried to leave through, staring judgmentally at him in hateful silence.

Sometimes, she barely looked alive; sometimes, Silver Spoon was aflame, reaching out for him with burning hooves.

He finally awoke in a cold sweat, clutching tightly at his sheets as he lay with his head turned toward the opposite end of the bed. William stared at the ceiling for a while, images of his haunting dreams still dancing before his eyes and making his heart pound in his ears. He eventually managed to shake it off, through thorough analysis of his nightmares and their many logical inconsistencies. It helped William reign in his senseless fear, and he repeatedly scolded himself for his childishness before silently dragging himself out of bed.

Uncertain of the time, but sure that it was either very very late or very very early, William snuck wordlessly out of his room and crept down the hall. His bare feet made very little noise as he walked, and he tried to tiptoe toward the kitchen to avoid waking Rainbow Dash.

A glass of water was all he needed, to be sure. He was feeling better already, and a quick wash up would probably leave him comfortably awake enough to have forgotten the dream, meaning that he could fall asleep again with impunity. Or at least, that was the idea.

William was a little surprised to hear the sound of running water the closer he slunk toward the kitchen. His heart raced again, and the irrational fear that Silver Spoon would be waiting for him in the dark made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. William gave himself a little shake, forcing his feet forward to investigate.

To his relief, his fears were completely unwarranted – the only one in the kitchen was Pinkie Pie, leaning over the kitchen sink in the dark.

Once more, however, William's hair rose up in fear as he felt that something were inherently… wrong. The closer he drew, the louder her insane muffled laughing was, and William's heartbeat was so painfully loud that it seemed to be lodged in his throat. He couldn't speak for the intense fear, his shaking growing so violent that it was difficult to feel his fingertips properly. Still he was drawn closer, almost involuntarily.

William's legs felt like he were standing in jelly, gradually being pulled forward by his own curiosity despite his unexpected and inexplicable fear.

"Gotta get it off, gotta get it off… can't get it _off_…!"

"Miss Pie?" he choked, extending a quivering hand out to the madly giggling mare, who was bent away from him over the sink.

No sooner had he done so that Pinkie Pie whirled on the spot, snagging up an uncomfortably large knife from the rack nearby.

William toppled over in terror, scrabbling backwards as he failed to even scream, terrified as he was by the maniacal stifled laughter and unnaturally shaped smile.

Pinkie Pie shakily dropped the knife, hoof over her heart as William was granted a closer look in the dark; Pinkie Pie hadn't been laughing, she was _crying_. Her mouth was pulled into a tight grimace, her teeth clenched so tightly that he had confused it for a disturbing leer. She also appeared to be partially coated in suds from washing, and William stared in shock for a long moment.

Instead of picking up the knife that she had grabbed in her own fear or helping William to his feet, she desperately covered her face with the crook of her elbow while turning, using another hoof to wave William away as she tried to muffle her sniffles.

"M-Miss Pie – _Pinkie_?" William finally managed to ask in concern as she frantically tried to wipe her face with a towel, quietly blubbering a hurried excuse that he was supposed to be in bed before hiding her face in the towel.

Noiselessly, William nonchalantly dropped the knife in the sink and slowly turned off the water, dabbing up the soap and water that had been spread in the confusion with another towel as Pinkie Pie cleaned herself up. He remained silent until she had completely stopped her miserable snuffles, and quietly cleared her throat a couple of times.

"You're supposed to be in bed," Pinkie pointed out eventually, uselessly folding and refolding the little towel that she held.

"Are you all right, Miss Pie?" William asked quietly, suddenly conscious that he had not been blinking at all.

"Yeah, yeah!" the familiar plastic smile spread onto her face, though William obviously wasn't fooled. "Auntie Pinkie's great. Just had something in my eye –"

"I _hate _a liar."

Pinkie Pie found herself immobilized by his hawkish glare, emotionless stare burning a hole in her. She bit her tongue, struggling with herself for a moment.

William bridged the short distance between them, placing a hand on each of her cheeks before carefully forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Tell me why you were crying, Pinkie Pie."

She had to refrain from shuddering, thoroughly creeped out by the boy's behavior. Gone was the concerned look, replaced with that blank, empty stare – like there was something wrong with his eyes. That, coupled with his words. Not ones of comfort, not a single request – it was a demand, and he spoke with an authority that didn't belong behind the voice of a child.

She opened and closed her mouth multiple times, but nothing seemed to come from it.

Unexpectedly, William hugged her. Pinkie couldn't help but flinch when he did so, for reasons that she could not ascertain.

"My statement stands, Pinkie," he spoke evenly in her ear, though she couldn't seem to find the strength to break away from his weak grip. "Don't lie to me again."

"I'm sorry," she sobbed suddenly, leaning on his shoulders. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Will."

"My name is _William_."

Pinkie Pie had been on the verge of telling him the truth about what she had done to his father; she knew it, it was practically on her lips. William's cold insistence upon his name seemed to partially snap her out of her despair, and she violently shook herself.

She could only imagine the unbelievable folly it would be, to tell him.

Within seconds, Pinkie Pie was wiping her eyes again and slowly but gently pushed him away.

"You'll understand when you're older," Pinkie finally regained control of the situation, deeply shaken at just how obviously the roles had been reversed. It was unnatural, how quickly and easily William had been assuming control, like he barely had to make effort in order to exert his influence. To be honest, it frightened Pinkie Pie – but it was quickly buried beneath the mountain of other emotions that Pinkie was attempting to deal with, all of which were steadily pushed away as she nudged the boy back to bed.

"That does not help matters in the slightest," William crossed his arms crankily as he carried himself back to bed, the urge to sleep falling heavily on him once again. "I do not know how you expect me to assist if you continue to deny your dilemma, whatever it may be."

"_Assist_," Pinkie snorted stuffily, urging him to his bedroom. "More like-"

She stopped suddenly, leaving William even more flabbergasted. He turned to face her in the hallway, his confusion only growing.

"What? More like what?" he inquired, desperate for any kind of information.

"Something else," Pinkie Pie replied vaguely, softly turning him around and pointing firmly toward his room. "It's too early. Bed."

Although he did not show it, William was equally perturbed by the normally cheerful mare's apparent mood swings. First she was miserable, then she was terrified, afterwards angry, and now cryptic?

She repeated herself, and William silently surrendered to her insistence, regardless of his burning curiosity.

He didn't sleep, though.

William still found himself tossing and turning from side to side for hours, unable to get the horrible image of a Scootaloo that he could never find out of his mind.

It only bothered him more that he couldn't determine why it bothered him so much.

"Should have gotten the damned water," he grumbled inaudibly as he rolled again, jamming the sheets over his eyes in vain attempt to seek the sleep that had so cruelly abandoned the night.

0-0-0-0-0

"I dunno," Apple bloom said uncertainly, her wary gaze cast out of the clubhouse window with scrutiny. "Kinda looks like rain. But just kinda, I can't really tell…"

"I believe that Miss Dash claimed that a thunderstorm would appear either late tonight or tomorrow morning and into the afternoon," William stated matter of factly, and the farm pony shrugged.

"Well, that's sort of helpful," Sweetie Belle nodded thoughtfully, scratching her horn absentmindedly. "More vague than anything, but at least it's something to go on."

"I suppose," William hummed distractedly, resuming his pacing. It was a little annoying to Sweetie Belle, that he hadn't been paying attention at all from the moment he found that Scootaloo still hadn't arrived at their clubhouse yet. He shook his head, attempting to drag himself back to the task at hand.

"You don't actually believe it though… right, Will?" Apple Bloom asked uncomfortably, the doubt plain on her face. "I-I mean, Silver Spoon wouldn't actually… well, y'know."

"That remains under suspicion," William said offhandedly, not ceasing his pacing. He started to speak again, but only snapped his mouth shut and shook his head.

"That's still an awfully dark thing to say." Sweetie Belle frowned, thinking. "But what if… if it's true?"

"I doubt that pointing fingers will get anyone anywhere," he stated firmly, walking more fervently back and forth. "But there are a number of things that make me extremely uneasy about the entire affair. I don't know, but-"

William stopped suddenly, losing himself in thought as he rubbed his temples.

Had Silver Spoon's parents inadvertently _killed _her?

Perhaps it wasn't directly, or maybe not even deliberately. Either way, the mere thought made William feel horrible for even thinking it. However, he couldn't simply put it aside, and he needed answers.

"Where is she…" he muttered, peering out the window again and disappointed at Scootaloo's failure to arrive.

"Scoots did say that she had something planned this mornin'," Apple Bloom proffered, which seemed to help William a little. "Didn't say what, though."

He huffed through his nostrils, and marched out the door to travel down the ramp.

"Hey!" Sweetie called after him. "Are you really that impatient?"

"Tell Scoots I said hello," William called over his shoulder, his mind racing. "I'm going to go see Diamond Tiara!"

And he left both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom severely confused at that statement, shrugging to each other as he bolted off.

0-0-0-0-0

William panted heavily, not used to the exercise.

He cursed his decision to run to the Rich manor, and stood gratefully in the shade of the awning protecting their opulent front doors. A small part of William was actually looking forward to the oncoming rain, as the cool water would at least help with the summer heat.

He gave himself a little bit to catch his breath before straightening his clothes and tidying his hair with his fingers. William cleared his throat self-consciously before knocking heartily at the door, a long silence following it.

He was prepared to knock again when he heard a shuffling within, and an old tan mare with a great deal of lines on her worn face pried open the door. A thinning flurry of pale cerulean and white mane sat atop her head, and she beamed down at William as she opened the door. Everything about her seemed… pristine, almost. Like she was the essence of sanitation, and lead by example.

"Ooh!" she smiled with a raspy voice. "Alloo, young colt! 'Ere on business?"

William nodded silently, and was a little surprised when the aged mare turned around for a double take to get a better look at him. He felt as if he were being inspected and scrutinized, and suddenly felt even more conscious of every speck of dirt he may or may not have collected on his person.

Thankfully, she eventually turned away from him. William jumped when she shouted up the stairs.

"OI! FILTHY! THE _HOOLIGAN _IS BACK, EH?"

William could have sworn that he heard an almost inaudible sigh as the door was closed behind him, the aged mare tottering off with a broom in tow.

"Thank you, Missus Pots," he heard the voice of Filthy Rich shortly before the tired looking stallion began descending the expansive stairs to the second floor. Filthy smiled cheerfully at the sight of William, nodding pleasantly toward the waiting boy.

"Ah, good morning, Mister Klaskovsky!" Filthy said as he stepped from the stairs. He nearly knocked over a small vase on the way, and as he drew closer, William could see that the stallion had bags under his eyes. However, he did not drop his formal attitude, and still managed to stand firmly enough to greet William properly.

"Thank you for allowing me in, Mister Rich," William shook his hoof politely.

"What's this about business?" the stallion asked, eyeing the boy closely.

"Actually," William fiddled with his fingertips. "I actually stopped by to-to speak with Diamond."

Filthy nodded with a silent and understanding 'ahh' before pointing up the stairs.

"Should've guessed," he chuckled tiredly. "I've been trying to get her to go outside all morning. Best of luck to you," Filthy shook his head before trotting slowly off to the left and through a large doorway, speaking with what William assumed were some of the servants in charge of tending to the house.

He stared after them for a while, curious as to precisely how wealthy Diamond Tiara's family must have been to afford an array of staff, but shook his head. He could focus on that when he had more time.

William silently began to ascend the stairs, one hand on the finely polished mahogany banister as he climbed. On multiple occasions, he barely refrained from stopping and admiring the craftsmanship (craftsponyship?) on several small works of art that littered the place on ivory colored pedestals.

He was halfway down the hall, completely absorbed in the numerous paintings and portraits of what he assumed were ancestors of Filthy Rich before he realized that he hadn't actually been given any directions as to how to find Diamond Tiara's room.

He cursed his absentmindedness, the urge to punch himself in the head growing.

Instead, William started back toward the stairs – but changed his mind partway, curiously poking his nose into room after room instead.

Not a single one of the doors were locked, and each one held something different to stare at. Some rooms were filled only with ornate furniture, and others with more works of art – a couple were nearly empty, and some were clearly guest rooms. William grew a little more appreciative of everything to see the further into the house he traveled, and almost forgot the entire reason he came in the first place.

He reprimanded himself for the umpteenth time, no other sign of life around to point him in the right direction. William was considering turning around when he encountered yet another flight of stairs, this one yawning upward just as the last one had done. With a quiet sigh, William consigned himself to more room searching.

Many of the upstairs rooms (and one restroom, he noted) were similar to those on the floor below; albeit, they tended to have much more opulent and grand bedrooms, and other rooms for which he could ascertain no purpose, although they too were lavishly decorated with the same Victorian style imitation artwork that belied high status.

William at last came across a room with a locked door, and he curiously jiggled the handle. All of the other doors had been unlocked – perhaps this one was Diamond Tiara's.

He knocked a couple of times, listening intently at the door.

"Go away," he heard the muffled voice of the filly, and he clenched his fist in success. "I've told you for the last time, you stupid old bag! I want to be left alone!"

Frowning at her rudeness, William slowly lowered his hand and crossed his arms.

"Very well," William raised his voice ever so slightly. "As you wish, Miss Ti_ahh!"_

William jumped in surprise, the door blasting open with the force.

"_William_!" Diamond Tiara breathed ecstatically, eyes as equally wide as his own. "Why didn't anypony say something to me?"

"Good morning to you too as well, Miss Tiara," William straightened his hair grumpily, frustrated at having been so easily frightened.

"Don't bother, I'm fine," the filly scowled suddenly, turning unexpectedly hostile. She pawed at the floor before her for a few seconds, tracing invisible circles before shaking her head. "… I'm sorry. I should be thanking you for being so nice as to check up on me."

"Check up o – oh, yes!" William nodded furiously. "Of course, of course. Just-just checking on you," he shifted uncomfortably, gazing up and down the empty hall.

"… You can come in, if you want," Diamond Tiara spoke lowly, stepping to the side a little to allow him passage to her bedroom.

"Oh. Thank you kindly, Miss Tiara," he nodded, clasping his hands together as the gears began turning more fluidly. "Actually, there is something that I'd like to speak with you about, if you don't mind."

"I… guess…" she mumbled, quietly closing and locking the door behind them.

"Good. _Good_," he began pacing, breathing heavily through his nostrils before turning to face her. Diamond Tiara seated herself on her massive four poster bed, sitting stiffly on the large silk sheets. "I wanted to speak with you about Miss Spoon."

The filly's face became downcast once again, and she bitterly rubbed at her forehooves. William felt a surge of heavy guilt, and struggled to pushed it away. There was a chance that she might have a clue to offer that would either put him at ease or confirm his suspicions.

"… Yeah." Tiara replied softly, staring at her hooves. She carefully pulled a pair of blue spectacles from beneath her bed, the same ones that he had seen her with before. She rolled them over in her hooves gently, simply staring at them. "Yeah, I kind of guessed. Everypony wants me to talk about her for some reason, now that she's – she's gone."

"In all likelihood, due to the notion that you will find some form of solace in speaking about your grief," William noted thoughtfully, carefully trying to ease the conversation in the direction that he wanted it to go. "And speaking of which, if I might bring up Miss Spoon's parents…"

"Why?" Diamond Tiara cocked an eyebrow in mid confusion. "Yeah, so they miss Silver, too. Big whoop. Not as – not as much as me," she finished softly, rolling the glasses over and over. William also noticed that she didn't cry at all this time; which he was grateful for, but her strangely familiar stare still put him off. Like there was something wrong with her eyes.

"Be that as it may," William finally said in a quiet tone, sitting on the bed when she patted the spot beside her. "I still have a few concerns that Miss Spoon's parents might have known something – or, rather…" William caught himself, gripping his hands tightly. There was still the sense of caution, and it grew with his every word.

What if he said the wrong thing, and caused Diamond Tiara to begin crying again?

"What I mean to say is," William started again before he could become completely flustered, his heart racing at the thought. "I think there might have been something about Miss Spoon that-that was, er… _hidden_…"

"… So. You figured it out that quickly, huh?" Diamond Tiara asked tonelessly, and William had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. "I should have guessed that somepony would find out eventually."

William tried to speak, but at this point, it was difficult to even think properly. The shock was simply overwhelming.

"It's true," Diamond Tiara sniffed, and held her head a little higher before clearing her throat. "Spoony and me were-were a thing."

He almost collapsed in on himself, so great was his relief. For a bare moment, William had arrived at a completely different conclusion, and the idea frightened him.

Badly.

"I-I, um, well," he spluttered, toying with his fingertips almost apologetically. "I-I-I, um… see."

"Silver was close to me," Tiara said quietly, looking back at the glasses. "She was my friend. I… I guess I can say that I loved her. She loved me. I could tell."

William did not necessarily know how to respond, so he only remained silent beside her as she spoke. There was a sad tint in her voice, and William constantly expected her to begin weeping again; however, she did no such thing, only staring at the glasses that she held limply in her hooves.

"It hurts, that she's gone…" Tiara whispered, her voice changing a little as a lump formed in her throat. She shook it away, and looked back to William with that same, off putting stare. It made him uncomfortable in a way that he couldn't quite place. "Like the empty feeling that was there before Silver is back, except it hurts more now."

It didn't take long for William to completely abandon his attempts to pry information away from the filly about Silver Spoon's parents. He was having enough difficulty keeping himself in check at her words.

After a moment, he kindly placed a hand on her hoof, stilling the twirling of the glasses.

"Just know that you aren't alone, Miss Tiara," William said softly, forcing a small smile.

"… I really like the idea of loyalty," Diamond stated suddenly, a smile of her own starting up her face. "Did you really mean it before, William? You'll stay with me?"

"Of course I will," he assured her, conscious of her compliment of his loyalty.

"Spoony was always very loyal to me," Diamond Tiara mumbled, picking up the glasses more firmly. "And I f-felt… things. For her, I mean," she spoke a little more quickly, but more evenly as well. "She was… put these on."

William blinked, completely thrown off by her unexpected request.

"… Sorry, what?"

"Put them on," Diamond Tiara insisted a little more forcefully, softly pressing the glasses into his hands. "I want you to wear them for me."

William balked at her, both confused and deeply disturbed.

They were Silver Spoon's glasses.

And she wanted him to wear them.

Diamond Tiara slowly closed his hand around them, her brilliant blue eyes never leaving his own. William clenched his hand to grip them, so tightly that he was afraid that either they would break or that they would begin cutting into him.

And, ever so slowly, William carefully put on the glasses.

For a long and uncomfortably silent minute, Diamond Tiara simply sat and stared at him.

William felt horribly silly, sitting before her in the dead filly's glasses – they were too large for him, and he continuously had to push them up on his nose. The glasses also distorted his vision, and made everything look strange and alien through his field of vision. He wanted to yank them off… but what if Diamond Tiara wound up the same way as Silver Spoon simply because he didn't want to look silly?

Bit by bit, Diamond Tiara slipped one hoof around William's slim waist, another sliding over his shoulder.

"Miss Tiara-" he sputtered, a vibrant crimson flush burning his cheeks. William was cut off when Diamond Tiara pulled his head in for a kiss, mashing her lips heatedly against his own. He felt the glasses slipping a little bit at a time, until they had fallen to the floor. When Tiara pulled away from him, he saw that she was as equally bright-cheeked as he was, although she sported a wickedly large grin.

"There," she said breathlessly. "It's about time I gave you a proper kiss."

"I need to go," William started to stand, his ears red-hot and one cheek twitching.

_"Sit!"_

William complied promptly at her barked command, and he stayed shakily on the edge of the bed before clasping his trembling hands tightly before him. Diamond Tiara was breathing a little bit heavier now, and she looked down at the glasses that had fallen to the floor.

"Trying to run off when you told me you wouldn't," she tutted, giving him that odd stare again. "That's awfully bad, William."

When he didn't answer, she looked back down at the blue glasses.

"Pick them up for me."

He complied, and wordlessly handed them to the filly. She carefully placed them beside her and dug in the wooden drawers beside her bed, and withdrew with something else.

"I guess it's about time I gave you a proper _lesson_, as well…" Tiara breathed in his ear, and bit her lip before leisurely revealing what she had hidden from him.

Where on earth had she gotten _that_…?

"Hold them out," Diamond Tiara nodded at his hands, clutching the riding crop in her hooves. He stared at the length of black leather, feeling as if his mind had shut down altogether. She pushed the glasses back at him with her other hoof, expectantly waiting for him to put them back on.

So, which was she expecting? Did she want him to hold out his hands, or put on Silver Spoon's glasses?

William opted to grab the glasses to avoid the riding crop, and for good reason.

The moment he reached for the glasses, Diamond Tiara struck him.

William yelped in pain, holding his sore hand defensively beneath his armpit.

"What was _that _f-" he tried to scowl, only to be cut off by the filly again.

"Put them on," Diamond Tiara interrupted without raising her voice, somehow managing to still sound just as dangerous. She nodded at the glasses, and William paused before cautiously extending a hand toward the glasses. His heart pounded in his ears, and he jerked his hand away the moment he grabbed them – however, Diamond Tiara made no move to strike him again, and he blushed slightly from the embarrassment of showing that he was afraid of being smacked.

"Put them on for me," she whispered again, leaning forward until they were closer together. His already mighty blush deepening , William silently complied and placed the glasses back on his nose, his vision warped once again.

"Good," Diamond Tiara hummed appreciatively. "There's a good boy. Now, hold out your hooves."

"Hands," William couldn't help but say, instantly regretting it when the riding crop came down hard on his leg.

It stung painfully through his pants, and he resisted the intense urge to jump up and flee.

"Stop _doing _that!" William jerked away, the oddly shaped form of Diamond Tiara billowing through the glasses after him. "I-I, it…!"

"Does it hurt?" Diamond murmured, and he stared at her.

"Of course it does!" he retorted angrily. "It's a damned riding crop! Where did you even –"

"Then hold them out," she nodded toward his hands again, gaining a better grip on the crop.

William hesitated, fearful of being struck again.

"Just hold them out. Hold them out for me," Diamond repeated herself quietly. Cautiously, shaking, and painfully slowly, William gradually extended his hands out with his fingers clamped tightly in his hands to protect them. Diamond Tiara could see how badly he was shaking, and his blush returned when she grinned at him.

Diamond Tiara lifted the crop in one hoof, levitating it dangerously over one of his hands. William flinched, squeezing his eyes the moment she swung.

_Pap._

She gently slapped him with the crop, and William jerked again the moment she did so.

Diamond Tiara giggled suddenly at his fear, and William resisted the urge to hide his face. For some reason, the glasses had begun to mysteriously fog. She patted his hands again with the crop, and he struggled to keep them still for her – at least, before it occurred to him that even considering doing so was beyond mad, it was utterly deranged. She was _toying_ with him.

"You have to keep them still."

He hissed sharply through his teeth when the crop came down hard across his knuckles, and he winced in pain. He twitched and flinched, but held his hands out for as long as he could regardless. It followed in such manners – Diamond Tiara would slap him softly with the riding crop here and there, making him jolt with the occasional hard smack. He was badly sweating before long, which made him itch horribly but still left him too fearful to scratch.

William's hands were welted and sore by the time she finally stopped, and the glasses were badly fogged because he couldn't help the hot tears from stinging almost as badly as his hands did.

"You did really good," Diamond Tiara whispered softly in his ear as she carefully removed the glasses, but he could see her no more clearly than he could before. "Not as good as Spoony, but really good. I like that," she kissed his cheek, wiping away some of the tears with her hoof.

William tried to speak, and bolted upright when the knock at Diamond Tiara's door thumped loudly through the room.

"Diamond?" he heard the sound of Filthy Rich's voice, which helped drag him back to reality. "Do you have the Klaskovsky colt with you in there? Why is the door locked?"

"Lie," she said in a hushed voice, putting a single hoof beneath his chin and forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Unlock the door and lie for me, William."

He wasn't quite certain what possessed him to do it.

"Y-yes M-Mister Rich," William croaked, rapidly wiping his eyes with his shirt before opening the heavy oak door, even though it hurt his hands. "We were –"

He struggled to speak, his throat feeling raw. Diamond Tiara's eyes never left him, and he fought against himself continuously.

"I was merely consoling Miss Tiara," William lied, standing with his hands carefully placed behind his back as he stood before her father. "There has been… some level of distress that I – that-that I-"

William found himself choking up suddenly, and he could almost feel Diamond Tiara's eyes on the back of his head.

"Oh, no," Filthy Rich laid a hoof on his shoulder kindly. "I understand, son. I understand."

William's heart swelled unexpectedly, and the sudden urge to cry stung him again.

"I suppose that she was your friend, too, wasn't she?"

William wanted to scream in that moment. The frustration building so much that his head hurt, his cheeks burned so much that he might as well have been on fire, and Mister Rich didn't really understand at all. He wanted to fight it, wanted to shout, wanted to shove his hands in her father's face and make him understand.

Instead, William silently held himself in check and forced his breathing to slow. Since he doubted that he could even speak without his voice cracking again, William nodded furiously.

"Missus Pots just wanted everypony to know that she has lunch finished," Filthy informed them both. "I thought I'd take the liberty of making lunch call myself today. Would you care to join us today, Mister Klaskovsky?" he asked the boy politely, to which William instantly declined.

"I-I have… I have to be somewhere," William lied again, feeling as if his falsehood was painfully easy to see through. It was almost like Mister Rich were looking right into him, like he couldn't even hide anything. It instantly became even more difficult to hide his facial expressions, and William faked a violent sneezing fit to turn away and hide his face for long enough to regain control.

"Bless you. It's quite alright, son," Filthy nodded to him, and Diamond Tiara marched with her tail swinging tauntingly back and forth as she passed directly by William. "Do you need somepony to show you to the door?"

Filthy honestly didn't mean it as condescendingly as it sounded; it was a fairly large mansion.

"I can show myself out, thank you," William replied curtly, stalking quickly past the stallion and making his way out as quickly as he could without running.

By the time he reached the first floor, though, he had already broken into a sprint.

0-0-0-0-0

"Hey, there ya are!"

William twitched at the sound of Scootaloo's voice, although he did allow himself a small, relieved smile when he saw her skidding to a stop beside him on a shining scooter.

"H-hello, Miss Scootaloo," William was wary to keep his hands firmly in his pockets, and cleared his throat as he continued to walk. The pegasus tilted her head and hopped off of the scooter, opting to walk beside him instead as he slowly made his way home.

"I wish Sweetie would have told me sooner you were gonna go talk to Diamond Tiara about something," she rambled, for which William was thankful. So long as she didn't ask too many questions, and he could just go home without incident. "I totally would have come with you! We could have gotten there super fast, too – like it?" she showed him the bright blue scooter with red painted wheels.

"Oh, yes," he nodded distractedly. "It's very nice, Miss Scootaloo."

She stopped for a beat, darting ahead to catch back up with him.

"… Okay," she rolled her eyes lazily. "What is it."

It wasn't so much of a question as it was a statement.

"I do not know what you are talking about," William said with his eyes locked straightforward, his back stiff as he walked.

Scootaloo snorted, ruffling her wings.

"Has anypony told you that you can't lie for minotaur manure?" Scootaloo grinned, pushing him playfully. He flinched when she did so, and she frowned at his actions.

"Sorry," he replied gruffly, keeping his head down as he tried to walk away from her.

"Sorry?" she stopped him, the scooter rolling to a halt beside her. "… Y'know, Will, you-you don't look so good," Scootaloo said with a hint of concern. He was paler than usual, like the color had been sucked from his face.

However, the moment she said it, he began flushing brightly and he sputtered something incomprehensible.

"Calm – calm _down_," Scootaloo held him roughly by the shoulders, forcing him to take a breath. "Just take a second, Will. Take a second, calm down. Then tell me what's eatin' ya."

She was a little weirded out by the strange look he was giving her, but she promptly forgot about it a split second later when he hugged her strongly.

"_Oof_!" she stumbled in surprise, her grin reappearing with renewed strength. "Uh… 'kay," she hugged him back, both confused and glad simultaneously.

He pulled away a moment later, a dark expression on his face.

"Miss Scootaloo," he said dangerously. "Don't die. Don't you ever, _ever _die."

And with that, William left her in even greater confusion than before.

She scratched her head and watched the boy jog off, his hands jammed into his pockets oddly as he ran.

"Only if you promise you won't!" she shouted after him, to which he turned slightly and nodded before sprinting even faster.

He was a weird one, to be sure.

But she'd be damned if he didn't make her smile sometimes.

0-0-0-0-0

"Let me see."

William stood in his room with his hands clasped behind his back, shuffling fitfully. Rainbow Dash quietly closed the door behind her, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Come on, Will," Dash said softly, but sternly. "I know you're hiding something."

When he still didn't show her what he had been attempting to sneak off to his room for, Rainbow Dash sighed heavily and sat down before him.

"… Will." She said firmly, giving him a level look. "If it's something you're afraid to show me or something that you're embarrassed about, I promise not to tell Pinkie unless you want me to. It'll just be between you and me. Just between us, okay?"

After a couple of restless minutes in which neither of them said anything, William slowly and silently showed Rainbow Dash his welted hands.

She frowned, furrowing her brows. Dash stared at his hands for a long while, wordlessly inspecting them.

"… You gonna tell me how you got marks from a riding crop, Will?" Rainbow Dash asked softly, turning his hands over gently in her hooves.

He cringed, and said nothing.

She exhaled with a tortuously long sigh through her nostrils, tenderly placing her wings on his shoulders.

"William," Dash said quietly, holding his hands up a little. "Please tell me how you got marks from a riding crop, William."

"How do you know what kind of marks they are?" he tried to deflect it, and her flat stare met him.

"I just know what leaves what kind of mark or bruise, and that's all you need to know," Rainbow Dash replied, simply holding him for a while. He refused to speak, and she could see the futility in trying to coerce him into it.

"… Here." She lifted his hands with her hooves up to her lips, blowing gently over the angry red welts. He winced when her lips softly touched them, brushing lowly over each mark.

"Um… Mother-"

"If you won't tell me," she said, opening her mouth wide and panting on the marks before kissing them softly. "I'll just have to… kiss it and… make it… make it _better_…"

Dash's hot tongue fell over his hands, her breathing falling harder and faster in her panting. William whimpered quietly, the stinging growing unbearable – however, perhaps either the heat or the moisture might have helped.

Rainbow Dash tenderly licked her way up his slender arm, working her way up to his neck and leaving a trail of calm, but needing kisses up his cheek. He gasped aloud when her hot tongue slithered over his ear, flicking over his earlobe wetly.

"M-Mother."

Rainbow Dash recoiled suddenly, coughing into her hoof as William resisted the urge to scrub his ear with his forearm.

"Right, right," Dash said with a pink tinge growing in her cheeks. "Well. We'll – we'll get something for-for that, and-" she ran a hoof over her face a few times, rubbing her cheeks. "-and, just… you know. Um, dinner is ready, Master. _William_!" she blurted quickly. "William. _William_. William. Pinkie made us some desert."

She spoke as if she were in a haze, and repeatedly shook herself with a half guilty, half wild look on her face.

"Yes, Mother," William answered quietly. "I shall… be along shortly."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 25 –_

It has finally happened.

I have been completely broken.

I do not know how, or really even when it occurred – at some point or another, I devolved into this sniveling, obedient troglodyte without my knowledge. My self-loathing knows no bounds.

I believe that I began the day with intent to discover more about Miss Spoon's parents. Perhaps they knew something about her suicide (which I am still claiming as such until other evidence is produced) and have not come forward with the information. It reeks of guilty conscience to me.

I doubt that I can keep Silver Spoon properly on my mind, since…

Miss Tiara and Miss Spoon appear to have had some form of… extremely close relationship with one another. I find it appalling that the Tiara brat would even insinuate that another could take her place, especially so rapidly, but I now realize that this may be a form of coping. Regardless, I sincerely hope Miss Tiara finds another method of coping soon.

I don't like her current one.

Moving on.

I do not think that Mother has made any kind of 'recovery' that Miss Pie speaks so highly of. She does not seem in any way changed or altered to me.

I will admit that I am slightly fearful of Mother changing, if only because I do not care for change. However, it is clear that her actions and words disturb Pinkie Pie, and I do not wish to see her upset, either.

Speaking of Miss Pie…

I believe that she may be suffering from some form of ailment as well, although for the life of me I cannot identify it. I spent a good portion of my morning delving through previous records in search of any form of comparison, but appear to have wasted my time. I am afraid that if I do not help her soon, her mood swings are going to result in something unpleasant.

I wonder if her own symptoms are anything akin to Mother's.

Just in case, I shall begin making extra room in my bed.

And on that note, I badly require rest. I shall need it for the following day, as I expect to spend the day with Scoots and the others, followed by Miss Twilight's astronomy lessons should the rain have passed by in time. I only hope that I can sleep without interruption tonight. I dare say that I do not look forward to any form of dreams which involve Scootaloo.

Again, the pegasus is lurking in my thoughts. If I am not careful, people ponies are going to begin to suspect that I have some kind of infatuation with the girl.

An utterly ridiculous notion.

I mean, it isn't as if I lay awake at night, thinking about her.

0-0-0-0-0


	16. Ch16: The Sound Of Rain

0-0-0-0-0

"I know, Pinkie. I know," Rainbow Dash sighed heavily, staring up at the ceiling in dull frustration. "That doesn't mean it'll be any better that way."

"How can you be sure?" Pinkie whispered back, holding the sheets up to her chin and staring at the same spot that Dash was.

"He's _hiding _something from me," Dash frowned, rubbing her forehead with one hoof. "And I can't even begin to tell you just how _scared _I am right now."

"Maybe it's for a good reason…" Pinkie Pie said softly, tugging at the sheets fitfully. "Maybe – maybe sometimes, somepony has a good reason for staying quiet."

"And I don't _like _it," Rainbow Dash grumbled. "It's not really so much that he's keeping secrets from me; it's not even that he thinks that he can be sneaky, which is kind of cute and kind of sad at the same time," she explained. "It's that the way he was acting about the marks, I-I think he was almost too _afraid _to tell me, Pinkie."

The mare nodded slowly, tiredly giving a little sigh of her own and rolling to face her.

"Believe me, that has me worried, too," Pinkie Pie stated unhappily. "But-but maybe… maybe you were… wrong?" she asked, the hopefulness in her voice evident.

Rainbow Dash only shook her head.

"I know what kind of welts those were, Pinks," Dash's quiet voice could barely be heard. "I don't know what's going on with him, and he won't tell me."

Pinkie shook her head, gently pulling the frustrated pegasus into a tender hug. She ran a hoof quietly over Dash's back, mindlessly tracing up and down her spine and between the bases of her wings.

"It'll work out," Pinkie assured her uncertainly. "You just-just gotta trust that it'll all work out."

"Maybe that's what it is," Dash moaned against Pinkie's chest. "Maybe it's because nopony _trusts _me."

Pinkie frowned, and opened her mouth to protest, but Dash cut her off.

"He trusts _you _more than he does me," she blurted. "And I'm his _mother _for crying out loud!"

"Dashie-"

"Maybe _you _can get something out of him," Dash turned to her pleadingly. "If he trusts you more, then you might get him to tell you-"

"Hang on, _hang _on," Pinkie shifted uncomfortably. "Since _when _does Will not trust you?"

"It's just – it's in the way he _talks_," Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes. "The way he acts. I-I just don't think he really trusts me enough to tell me when something's wrong."

"But he still showed you his hands," Pinkie hummed. "I might not have even _known _yet if you hadn't told me. So, he must trust you a _little_, right?"

"But not enough to tell me where he got the _damned _marks," she seethed, turning away from Pinkie Pie. She crossed her hooves and scowled hard at the wall.

Her frown slowly dissipated when Pinkie wrapped her hooves over her side, snuggling against her and letting out a tired sigh against the back of her neck.

"You just need to build on that trust, is all," Pinkie Pie murmured, growing still as Rainbow Dash gripped her pink hoof with a growing warmth and kissed it. "We'll figure something out. I promise, Dashie."

"… Thanks, Pinkie," Dash whispered, nestling comfortably against the mare and allowing herself a tiny smile. "Something in the morning."

They were still for a while, growing silent in the dark before Pinkie finally spoke again.

"Something's still bothering me."

"What is it?" Dash lifted her head weakly, the allure of sleep slowly pulling her deeper.

"You know, I think we started the pillow talk with something about umbrellas."

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but giggle.

0-0-0-0-0

The pattering of rain can be a very soothing, comforting sound.

At least, William had always thought so. It meant long, lazy days indoors, often times huddled up next to a window with a book or two. A random memory of staring out over the street beside Saint Claire's came back to him vaguely, and William almost heard Ronald's mildly obnoxious voice in his ear again. He found himself almost looking forward to the rain, with the way Rainbow Dash was hyped up about it.

"You _sure _you don't want to come up with me?" she asked him again eagerly, eyeing the turbulent black boils littering the sky. The early morning air was crisp and cool, and he shivered next to the umbrella carrying Pinkie Pie as he shook his head. A couple were strange looking to William – umbrellas that had seemingly been screwed onto the backs of saddles, and almost reminded him of bizarre hats. Albeit, hats that one wore on one's back.

"No thank you, Miss Dash," William said uneasily, and she frowned slightly. "I do not necessarily care for heights."

"Crying shame," Dash shook her head sadly, and he could tell that she was trying to tempt him into flying up with her. In all honesty, even the thought of dangling high over the earth with no net terrified him. "Guess I'll get back to it, then…"

"Oh, come on, Will!" Pinkie nudged him forward cheerfully. "It's really not so bad. Dashie promises not to drop you. Right, Dashie?"

Rainbow Dash snickered into her hoof.

_"Dashie!"_

"Joking!" she held up her hooves defensively, giggling as the wind began to pick up around them a little. "I'm joking, of course I'm not gonna drop him. You can trust me, Will. Pinkie Promise."

"Be that as it may," he crossed his arms crankily and furrowed his brows. "It is doubtlessly going to be highly uncomfortable. And cold. Also, probably wet, and I just don't like he_aaaaaaaaaaah!"_

Pinkie Pie snorted when she picked the boy up in her hooves, dropping him unceremoniously onto Rainbow Dash's back. The pink party pony was surprisingly strong, and patted him kindly on the head.

"Don't fall off!" Pinkie said cheerfully as Rainbow Dash grinned, and immediately leapt into the air. It wasn't even at a fraction of her normal speed, but William still shrieked and clung to her neck as tightly as if she'd shot off from the ground at bullet speed.

"Put me down, put me _down_!" William wailed in terror, clinging desperately to her neck.

"Not a great choice of words, Squirt!" Dash cackled as she flapped her wings powerfully and launched them higher into the air, blasting directly toward the billowing black storm clouds hovering dangerously above them. William wrapped his hands tightly in her multihued mane, legs clamped tightly to her sides as he clenched every single muscle in his body in fear.

"Brace yourself," Dash warned over the sound of wind, pumping her wings faster as they approached the levitating obsidian behemoth. His stomach turned wildly, his heart pounding in his ears as they rose to unbearable heights. "Here it comes…!"

William squeezed his eyes shut and pulled himself as close to her body as he could, too afraid to even watch as they plunged directly into the roiling black clouds.

He felt something akin to extremely strong static electricity rippling along his skin, the sudden shock of cold and damp air assaulting him to the point that he could hardly breathe…

And then it was over.

He clung desperately to Rainbow Dash as she stopped ascending, a sudden peace and silence greeting him.

"… Open your eyes, Squirt."

William slowly shook his head, only clinging more tightly to Rainbow Dash.

"Will."

He only whimpered, his shaking noticeable.

It took him a long moment to realize that they were no longer flying, and William wondered if they had landed without him seeing it.

"Open your eyes, William," Dash said softly, gently prying one of his hands from around her neck. Against his wishes, William carefully cracked open one eye.

They weren't standing on the ground.

Rainbow Dash was standing on top of the storm cloud.

William gawked down in surprise as Rainbow Dash slowly pulled a hole open in the cloud, pointing down at the ground. It seemed so far away that he was tempted to clamp his eyes shut again, but Dash started moving again and he now found himself too afraid to even close them again.

"Don't slip," she said carefully, trotting with three hooves and using another to help William stay balanced on her back. He did not hear her, however; William was far too busy looking around madly, taking in the impossible sight.

The bright sunlight threw cold rays down on them as the bubbling storm cloud shifted and swayed, rising up and blossoming in several areas. Some of them wound upward into the air like coiled ebony serpents, writhing with haste through the sky as jittering sparks of electricity danced across their surface.

William let out a short gasp, not realizing that he had been holding his breath the entire time.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Rainbow Dash grinned, noticing his awe. "Kind of makes you forget just how high up you a-"

William had obviously not forgotten about just how high up he was, as he promptly began clamping tightly to Rainbow Dash again.

She chortled, patting him lovingly on the head.

"Can we stop now?" he whimpered, eyes wide as a bolt of white electricity burst out of one of the black pillars and nearly blinded him when it plunged rapidly through the clouds. "_Please_?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head, carefully burrowing a small hole in the storm cloud and dropping through it. William tried not to shout this time, instead squeezing against Dash so tightly that he began to lose feeling. She swooped suddenly, slowing to a graceful descent and landing lithely before Pinkie Pie.

"Whoo-hoo!" Pinkie held up a small white signboard with a black _8_ etched on it before tossing it aside. "Excellent form, perfect landing! Needed more short skirts and explosions, though."

"_Down_," William exclaimed, falling unceremoniously from her back and scrambling when he hit the ground. "Down down down down!"

"Easy, Squirt," Dash laughed, helping the boy to his feet. "Well? What'd you think?" she asked eagerly, and William angrily dusted himself off as he tried to force color back into his cheeks.

"Mother," he glowered. "We should never do that again."

_"Wha~at?"_

"Never, _ever _again." William jammed his bandaged hands into his pockets sulkily.

"_Tch_," Dash shook her head again. "Crying shame. I really wish I could show you the rest, but I don't think you could handle it." She sighed, and Pinkie Pie prepared her large blue umbrella. "Alright, I'm off."

"You're already behind schedule!" Pinkie Pie shouted cheerfully after her, and Rainbow Dash blasted through the sky with an enormous Sonic Rainboom, the color swelling through the air like a dropped stone in a pond. William's mouth was hanging open as she penetrated the cloud once again, and within moments the gargantuan black beast slowly began being corralled into an even more violent brew.

Before long, pitters of rain began slipping through the sky and pelted the ground lightly. Pinkie kindly offered him an umbrella, which he gladly took. William stared up at the sky from beneath the ridge of his umbrella, nervously awaiting Rainbow Dash's return.

Finally, however, she bolted through the sky with a trail of rainbow colored light streaking behind her. She swooped down toward them, flaring her wings and spraying them both with an unexpected shower of water. Pinkie squealed in surprise, and William spluttered in desperate attempt to hide behind his umbrella from the water, even though he was already wet. Her mane was sticking straight up in a multicolored display from the electricity, and William had to fight to keep from snickering.

"Yeah, yeah," Dash rolled her eyes, poking his own hair. William had neglected to notice that his, too, was standing on end – and refused his every effort to flatten it.

Rainbow Dash laughed good naturedly, and even Pinkie and William joined her not long afterwards. She was completely soaked to the bone by the time she actually managed to slip one of the umbrellas over her, successfully flattening her mane, but her grin was still enormous the entire walk back home.

And upon seeing her heartfelt smile, a small part of William was almost prepared to go back up in the sky again to see her smile last longer.

0-0-0-0-0

"A little _late_, aren't we?" Twilight asked in complete deadpan, to which Rainbow Dash sheepishly shrugged her shoulders. The unicorn's mane was utterly flat in the rain, and she stared humorlessly at Rainbow Dash as she nudged the door open for them.

"You guys didn't have to wait outside," she said conversationally as she allowed her friends inside, Pinkie and William following inside last. "I mean, the door was unlocked."

"Oh, we didn't want to intrude," Fluttershy shivered as they entered in single file, all of them standing and dripping in the hallway as Pinkie slowly closed the door behind them and separated them all from the rain.

"Although some warning would have been appreciated." Twilight grumpily dried herself with the towel offered her by Rainbow Dash, levitating it in a deep purple glow.

"Shucks, even I heard about th' rain coming," Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Then why didn't you bring an umbrella?" Rarity raised an eyebrow, vainly attempting to dry every last drop from the bottom of her hooves as Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both chatted comfortably in the kitchen with Dash.

The farm pony snorted, draining some water from her hat.

"Little bit o' water never hurt nopony," she retorted dryly, which really was the only dry thing about her. Applejack wrung a bit more water from her braided hair out, to which the unicorn cringed.

"Perhaps not," William noted the enormous amount of water that had collected in the floor and started off for a mop with his hands oddly stuffed in his pockets. "But a lot of it will kill you."

They both fell silent at his words, an odd look shared between them.

"… What?"

"So, where's that breakfast I was promised?" Applejack said a little too loudly, stalking past the staring boy.

"No, really," William stared after Applejack. "What did I say?"

After everyone had dried off and made themselves comfortable, they all assumed the same positions that they were becoming accustomed to – Fluttershy helped bring in chairs, and William sat damply between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash on the couch, his hands in his pockets at an odd angle.

"Sorry, William," Twilight shook her head the moment he sat down. "I don't think –"

"I doubt that it would do any good to send me out again," he glanced out the window at the pouring rain, the glass fogged a little. Twilight was obviously prepared, but he carried on before she could speak. "And the walls are a bit thin, I'm afraid. Attempting to send me to my room is _also _doubtlessly futile."

Rainbow Dash gave a level stare at the unicorn, and Twilight uneasily cleared her throat from the look. It was almost as if Dash were offended that Twilight had tried to instruct William to do something, even when she hadn't spoken.

Twilight wasn't comfortable with it, but William insisted on staying with Rainbow Dash, which seemed to please her a little too much for Twilight's liking. Especially considering the nature of the conversations that went on during the group therapy sessions… although William seemed to handle them maturely enough, it still put Twilight on edge.

Perhaps one of the things that he had difficulty with were just how many long stretches of awkward silence tended to crop up. During these, Twilight tended to try to keep someone – anyone – talking, even if only in mindless banter. This confused William at first, although he began to understand a little more clearly after a while. More specifically, when another of the awkward silences formed.

"That's one spot that I kind of have a little difficulty remembering," Rainbow Dash continued quietly, eyes on the floor. "Maybe it was the-the second month. I think. That's when the new ones started, I remember that. He mentioned it being the first of the second month I was-was there, Master wanted to… celebrate. I don't… I don't really-really, I-"

She shook her head again and again, staring dully at the floor.

The uncomfortable silence remained, and Twilight slowly turned to William. Again, she urgently wished that someone would send the boy to his room, or something – but he still seemed relatively levelheaded, and Rainbow Dash wasn't nearly as explicit with her descriptions as she was before. Perhaps that was why she froze up so much more; because she was both trying to spare him, and simultaneously tried to keep him within eyesight… or Twilight's hunch could be completely off.

"Take your time," William said tonelessly in his usual lilting voice, his blank look leveled at the pegasus. "Everyone would perfectly understand if you wished to end the therapy session."

Dash laughed suddenly in an empty, pained bark.

"Of course I want it to end," Dash rubbed her forelegs bitterly. William started up upon her words, but she merely shook her head. "That-that doesn't mean that I don't still get that everypony is trying to help. That talking is supposed to 'make it better', or something."

Pinkie Pie let out a quiet sigh through her nostrils, shaking her head in understanding.

"Nopony can just get better-" she clapped her hooves together "-just like that, Dashie."

"It is a slow process," Twilight nodded admittedly, shuffling in her seat. "And you shouldn't think of it as a 'cure' as much as it is a method of helping you cope when you need somepony to lean on. Although I do think that you have made remarkable progress."

"Really?" William cocked an eyebrow.

"Remarkable progress as compared to her previous states," Twilight said flatly. "If you would have seen her before you began living here, you might understand."

Rarity watched the banter between the boy and the unicorn with growing trepidation, and only became more nervous when she noticed that Fluttershy, sitting beside her, was slowly growing more and more uncomfortable with every passing moment.

"I understand _perfectly_," William shot back, crossing his arms. "And once more, I grow tired of your passive aggressive attempts to insinuate that I am an incompetent _child_."

"You _are _a ch- what happened to your hands?" Twilight asked quietly, her eyes suddenly narrowing.

For some reason, Rainbow Dash's face turned a very vibrant shade of pink.

"Nothing," William lied, vainly putting his hands in his lap. "Stop attempting to diverge the conversation."

"Will," Pinkie began dangerously. "Don't be rude."

"Oh, since when are _you _his mother?" Twilight snapped angrily, and Pinkie opened her mouth to retort before being cut off by, surprisingly enough, Fluttershy.

"_Whoa_, o_kay,_ everypony," Fluttershy stood up abruptly, holding a hoof up to each one of them in turn. Even Applejack and Rarity, who had mostly remained quiet throughout the ordeal. "_Everypony _needs to just take a _deep _breath," she looked around the room with wide eyes, her wings snapped tightly to her sides. "… And we'll _all _come back to this after a _little_ breath of fresh air. Okay?"

William hadn't even noticed that the rain had stopped, although the sun was still hidden behind a wall of bleak clouds.

They all shuffled up and stretched, and William noticed Fluttershy pulling Twilight down the hallway.

Rainbow Dash was of higher concern to William, though. The two were left alone in the living room, and the sound of Pinkie Pie overly cheerfully going through muffins filled the air.

She was still sitting blankly and gripping the edge of the sofa weakly, staring ahead at a single spot on the floor.

He gently put a single hand on her wing, and she flinched.

After a moment, she pulled him into a little hug with one wing.

"… I'm sorry you were ever brought into this, Will." Dash spoke softly after a couple of seconds, her voice frail and only loud enough for him to hear.

"Nonsense," he replied bluntly. "I am perfectly willing to undergo any form of awkward conversation on the actions of my biological father if it results in putting you at ease, in any manner."

"… You're a good colt, Will." Rainbow Dash kissed him on the forehead after a moment, a still and sad little smile etched onto her lips. "Kinda wordy, but I'm glad I have you."

William nodded, her wings growing a little tighter around him, almost protectively.

"… Do you trust me?" she asked suddenly without looking at him, instead staring around to ensure that they were still alone.

"Where did _that _come from?" William asked in mild confusion.

"Never mind," Dash said quickly, but noticed that William was, to her immense surprise, slowly nodding his head.

"I-I suppose that I do…" he mumbled, furrowing his thin brows.

"More than Pinkie Pie?"

William was completely silent, thinking heavily.

Was she asking because she was jealous? Was Rainbow Dash displaying some form enviousness that he wasn't accustomed to?

"… _Maybe_," he nodded slowly, his hand partially over his chin as he gave her a worried look. "Is it important?"

"… No. It isn't anything important. The rain has stopped," Dash pointed out, nudging him up from the couch. "Why don't you go on out for now; the grownups can take care of the heavier stuff while you go play."

"I can handle it," William resisted for a moment, but soon gave up.

"Go on," Dash forced a small smile as Pinkie returned with a couple of oat muffins. Pinkie kindly passed her the plate of them, stacked up with several of the still warm pastries. "Take one of these with ya, and be sure to not to be out more than a couple of hours."

"Very well," William sighed reluctantly, quietly taking the muffin offered him by the smiling Pinkie Pie as the others began swarming back into the living room. "I suppose that for my portion of assistance, this concludes the session."

William jumped at the sound of shattering glass, along with just about everyone else.

Rainbow Dash, flustered, attempted to scrabble and pick up the broken glass with her hooves. She scrabbled for them desperately, profusely attempting to speak and only managing to make a strangled sort of wail.

William started for the broom, only to be quickly prodded out the door by Rarity.

He quickly found that the door had been locked behind him.

0-0-0-0-0

"Twilight," Fluttershy said seriously, closing William's bedroom door behind them as they separated themselves from the others. They could hear the sound of Pinkie loudly going through muffins, passing them around and chattering in a chipper, light tone.

"What?" the unicorn blanched at her hard stare. "What, what is it?"

"Don't you give me that, Twilight Sparkle," Fluttershy said sternly. "You've been like this all morning."

"I'm just very busy, and –"

"Again. Don't you give me that," Fluttershy frowned, giving Twilight a disappointed look that nearly skewered the poor mare. "Please, Twi. I can tell that you're _really _bothered by something, I just want to help."

Twilight blew a string of violet mane from her face, letting out a long breath.

"It's nothing, Flutters-"

"I can say pretty easily when you're fibbing, Twilight," Fluttershy reminded her serenely. "You have a tell."

"What?" Twilight scoffed. "I do _not_."

"Yes, you do," she nodded with a small smile. "It's this funny little twitch right here-" she held a hoof up to her eye.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy," Twilight rubbed her eyes viciously, scrubbing the tired ache from them. "It's just the stress. So much _stress_…"

Fluttershy patiently placed a hoof on her shoulder, and Twilight sighed again.

"Do you remember the-the incident with Discord?" Twilight asked out of the blue, and Fluttershy nodded.

"A little hard to forget, really," she said, and Twilight scratched the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Right," Twilight continued eventually. "Look, long story short, I've been… looking for Discord."

"… Oh," Fluttershy blinked in surprise, looking over the tired mare. "Um, I see. And… how is that, um… how is that going for you?"

"_Horribly_," Twilight whined, rubbing her temples and slumping against William's bedroom door, sliding down to the floor in a miserable position. "Oh, Fluttershy. You would not _believe _what I've been through in this past week."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Fluttershy said good-naturedly, but Twilight shook her head somberly.

"No, you really wouldn't believe it," Twilight said with a grim expression. "The _damned _things I've _seen_, trying to hunt down that _damned _draconequus for that _damned _pegasus-!"

Twilight jumped at the sound of breaking glass, her eyes going wide as dinner plates.

She bolted up, frantically breathing and trying to straighten her mane to look more professional. Twilight and Fluttershy curiously investigated the source of the noise, only to discover Rainbow Dash on her knees, scrabbling to pick up shards of shattered ceramic.

"I've got – I said I've _got it_, dear," Rarity levitated the dustpan helpfully while Pinkie Pie helped Dash to stand up, who seemed to be crying over the cuts on her hooves.

0-0-0-0-0

"Heyya, Will!"

William's head jerked up at the sound of Scootaloo's voice, trudging around a puddle with her scooter in tow.

"Hullo, Miss Scootaloo," William said stiffly, his hands stuck in his pockets as he marched against the breeze.

"Where ya going?" she asked curiously, zipping around to ride on his other side. "Did you find out anything more about Silver Spoon? I heard Sweetie Belle talking about it earlier. Did you know that her parents skipped town? Silver Spoon's parents, I mean, not Sweetie Belle's. How come you're not talking? Huh? Will? Huh? Huh?"

"For god's sake," William rubbed his temples wearily. "I swear, Scoots. Sometimes you're like a broken-"

He was yanked to a sudden stop by Scootaloo, who gripped his hand tightly in her hooves.

"… What happened…?" Scootaloo frowned deeply, furrowing her brows.

William silently retracted his hand, placing them carefully into his pockets.

"Nothing," William said quickly. "If you don't mind, I'm actually in a bit of a hurry-"

"Oh,_ come on_," Scootaloo scowled. "We're both going to the clubhouse, quit trying to change the subject."

Scootaloo blew a heavy breath through her nostrils, and said "I get it if you don't wanna tell me."

"Thank you."

"Wanna lift?" she asked suddenly, lighting up as she made room on the scooter. William looked at the wheeled death instrument in blatant disdain, crossing his arms again.

"Not particularly…" William mumbled, but clambered on nonetheless.

"_Sweet_," Scootaloo grinned as she allowed him the first place, wrapping her hooves beneath his arms. "Okay, hold on to the bars, and try _real _hard not to pee."

"Sorry?"

William barely had time to grasp the handlebars before she kicked off, cackling madly as they picked up speed. The world began flying by in a blur, Scootaloo's tiny wings buzzing furiously behind him and speeding them forward faster and faster. The handlebars shuddered and shook the faster they went, and William clung to them in panic.

"Not so tight!" Scootaloo warned him, placing her hooves over his hands and directing the scooter a little more smoothly as they sharply took a corner and startling an older stallion.

"Sorry, sorry!" William blurted, straining to keep his balance on the board.

"Just chill," the pegasus laughed, kicking off again to gain greater speed as they barreled down a sidewalk and nearly crashed into a mare hauling a cart of carrots. "All you really gotta do is relax and just _ride_."

"I'll take your word for it!" William shouted in a half panic as Scootaloo blasted past another couple of ponies, nearly crashing them into a lamppost. True, he was nervous and scared out of his wits that they were going to come to a painful halt at any moment – although he was loath to admit, it was unexpectedly… _fun_.

"Let go!" Scootaloo shouted suddenly as they sped toward the end of the sidewalk.

_"Are you mad?"_

_"Let go!"_ she yelled in excitement, and William released the handlebars against his better judgment. No sooner had he done so that they both careened screaming off the edge of the sidewalk, hurtling directly into a grassy knoll.

William rolled with the impact, blood pumping wildly behind his ears as he struggled to sit up.

"Whoo-hoo!" Scootaloo bounced up from the ground in exhilaration. "That was _awesome_!"

"I beg to differ," he grumpily retorted, achingly pulling himself to his feet and dusting himself while Scootaloo recovered her scooter. "We could have _died_! It was _far _too fast paced, and doubtlessly Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are already awaiting to scold us for _tardiness_."

"Wanna go again?" Scootaloo held up the scooter slyly.

William stared at her long and hard, completely expressionless. Scootaloo slowly started to lower the scooter to the ground, quietly setting the wheels down.

"… Yes," William hanged his head guiltily. "That would be marvelous."

_"Awesome."_

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 26 –_

I appear to have a broken leg.

**Author's Note:**

If growing up were easy, then why the hell does it take so long?


	17. Ch17: Blood And Bones

0-0-0-0-0

William stared around the hospital room in disdain; the painfully white color was nearly stinging his eyes, and the pungent smell of disinfectant affected his nostrils in a similar manner.

Loneliness was something that William was accustomed to.

He sometimes likened it to a rat; a large, vicious black thing with nasty incisors that gnawed at him when he least expected it to. It was a feeling that he disliked with a passion, and one that had mysteriously become something that William had slowly begun to hate even more in the past few weeks. It was that pale shadow in his mind, that slim fear and doubt that crept in only when he was completely and utterly alone. So, it was mildly perturbing when the same feeling slowly arose in him more frequently, no matter who was around. It was almost as if he had no way of combatting it any longer, as if he would be devoured by an invisible beast and his every endeavor to avoid it would end in futility.

With that grim bit of imagery in mind, William clasped his hands across his stomach and exhaled heavily again, staring up at the ceiling as he clung to his journal.

"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Unless your words can mend broken bones," William retorted blandly. "I sincerely doubt that it would serve as much more than a form of emotional compensation."

"Oh, come on, Will…" Sweetie Belle shifted uncomfortably as she sat next to Scootaloo. "You know she didn't do it on purpose. Right, Scoots?"

Scootaloo said nothing.

_"Right, Scoots?"_

"Of course not, of course not," Scootaloo snickered playfully. She eyed her own name badly scribbled on his cast, and turning away from his propped up leg, quickly asked "So, when can you come out again?"

Sweetie Belle calmly slapped her in the back of the head.

"_Ow_! What, what did I say?"

William resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose at their antics, his mind wandering. He didn't mind them, though, to be honest. It had been quite a while since Rainbow Dash had left with the unsettlingly familiar orthopedist, and he couldn't quite place his finger on where he'd seen him or why it disturbed him so.

_"Wi~ill,_" Scootaloo nudged him again. "You're going all creepy-quiet again."

He nodded distractedly, and cleared his throat.

"I apologize," William rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "My mind was… elsewhere."

Sweetie Belle glowered suddenly, shifting in her seat.

"_You _shouldn't be the one apologizing," she frowned, only for Scootaloo to hang her head.

"Is Apple Bloom not coming?" William asked suddenly with a false interest, looking about the room as if she were hiding in plain sight.

"She had farm chores to do," Scootaloo perked up helpfully. "You know, this time of the morning and all."

"Ugh, what a _shocker_."

William flinched at the sound of Diamond Tiara's voice, the scowling filly standing in the hospital room's doorway. He then frantically began searching around the bed for a panic button that wasn't there.

"Really," she flipped her mane and allowed herself into the brightly lit windowless room. "Is it _such _a surprise that the _Apple _family relies on _foal _labor just to _scrape _by?"

"Nopony wants to put up with you, Tiara," Scootaloo spat angrily, her wings flaring as she stood. Sweetie Belle corralled her back with a single hoof, unwilling to provoke a fight.

"So… what are you doing here, Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle strained to sound polite, although it was obvious that she was put off by the filly's foul expression.

"None of your business." Diamond Tiara frowned even more deeply, looking over to the panicked boy. "If I want to see William, I'm going to see William."

"How did you even know we'd be here?" Scootaloo scowled suspiciously, pacing back and forth before her like a nearly rabid dog, leaving William struggling to find a way to drag himself out of the bed without injuring his propped up leg.

"None – of – your – _business_," Tiara seethed again, sidling calmly beside the now sweating William. "And as for you," she placed a hoof calmly on his cast. "Aren't you even going to say hello?"

"H-hello, Miss Tiara."

"See?" she smirked at the frustrated pegasus. "He has no problem with a good friend visiting. Isn't that right, William?"

"I loathe you with every fiber of my be_ahhhh!"_

He jerked in agony as white hot splinters of pain rippled up his leg from the place Diamond Tiara pushed down, his stomach churning violently from the intensity of it.

"Cut that out!" Scootaloo slapped her hoof away, to which Diamond Tiara only smirked again and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, _please_. I'm just having a little fun with him."

"Not – _fun_…!" William seethed through clenched teeth, his hands still shaking as he clamped them over his cast protectively.

Even Sweetie Belle began trying to edge forward and move the filly out of the room without getting physical.

"They're right, Tiara," the unicorn narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I don't care what you're going through, that was out of line."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she refused to give ground, flipping her mane in an almost antagonistic manner.

"She's just being a bully because she's all torn up about Silver Spoon," Scootaloo stated quietly, and was surprised when Diamond Tiara scoffed.

"Oh. Yeah. _Her_," she rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, she's gone."

"Gee," Scootaloo deadpanned. "You sound like you miss her just _so _much."

"Oh, hey," William piped up suddenly, desperate enough to climb out of the bed and drag himself away from the ensuing storm. "I-I think I heard Miss Dash…"

"So?" Tiara sneered. "You're just jealous because _you _aren't my friend."

"You're _bonkers_!" the pegasus butted heads with her, and Sweetie Belle began prancing back and forth as if she weren't certain whether or not it would be best to intervene. "As if I'd ever be jealous of a snot-head like you!"

"You should be, it's not like you have any way to compete!" Diamond Tiara shot back haughtily.

"Nopony _has _to compete with you!" Scootaloo shoved her angrily.

"Not just because they'd _lose_," Tiara sneered. "You're just a little _brat _since your parents _left _you because you're an _embarrassment as a pegasus!"_

Sweetie Belle was thoroughly surprised that Scootaloo hadn't attempted to ram the simpering filly into the wall at that, but she was even more surprised by the sudden change that had come over her friend.

"I'll bet Silver Spoon _killed _herself just because she didn't want to listen to _you _anymore."

Diamond Tiara opened and closed her mouth, but couldn't quite seem to speak. She slowly but surely lost her arrogant, overconfident aura that had been slowly building. Before they knew it, her features closely resembled that of a horrified fish, for as often as she was silently moving her mouth.

"… She-she – you're _lying_," Diamond Tiara took a single step backwards, suddenly unsure of herself.

"It might've been that way," Sweetie Belle shook her head slowly. "The suicide thing, I mean. I-I mean, well… she tried it before, it might have been what-what it was this time… and…" she trailed off eventually, the guilt-stricken pang of inner torment leaking onto Diamond Tiara's face.

"… Suicide."

"_Yeah_," Scootaloo said quietly. "We think so."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Diamond Tiara turned her wide eyes toward William, who was currently in the process of trying to slip out of the bed without hurting himself. One arm and leg dangled precariously over the edge, and he gripped the bed tightly as her icy, expressionless gaze landed on him.

"… You _knew_."

"… Sorry?" William asked, freezing in place.

"You knew," Diamond Tiara's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as her rage swelled. "You _knew_, you _knew what she tried!? _You _knew _she tried to do it the first time, you knew and you didn't _tell anypony!?"_

It was William's turn to gawk and stutter, and Scootaloo's and Sweetie Belle's eyes were locked on him.

"You _knew_!" the filly shrieked hatefully as tears slowly started trickling down her face. "You _knew_, you knew you _son of a BITCH!"_

And with that, Diamond Tiara launched herself between the fillies and began mercilessly pummeling William. He toppled to the floor when the second blow struck, vainly covering his face by the fourth, and by the time the seventh landed on his injured leg he was already in too much pain to realize it when Diamond Tiara was finally tackled by the other two. He was lost in a flurry of pain, shouting and desperate scrabbling for escape before a pair of large hooves roughly jerked him from the fray.

"What in the name of _Celestia _is going on in here?!" Pinkie Pie bellowed, carefully replacing the silently shaking boy onto the hospital bed as Rarity magically separated the other three. They each levitated sluggishly in the air in the mortified unicorn's telekinetic grasp, and Scootaloo seemed to have a black eye.

Diamond Tiara, of course, eloquently replied with a violent, ear piercingly loud scream of pain and anger.

"Oh. Oh. Oh, um. _Oh_," Sweetie Belle stared shamefacedly with wide eyes at her elder sister's disapproving glare.

"Diamond Tiara _frickin_' _mauled _Will," Scootaloo spat, wiping her lip.

Rarity promptly dropped both Sweetie and Scootaloo, dumping them both unceremoniously on the floor.

"What in the _world _– no, I don't want to hear it!" Rarity dragged the vehement Diamond Tiara out the door. "Out, out, _out_! Where are your _parents, young lady!?_"

Pinkie Pie simply stood in confusion and shock, looking back and forth to the slowly dwindling incoherent wails of Diamond Tiara and back at the other three.

"… Okay, what did I miss?" Pinkie blinked slowly, letting out a long breath.

Scootaloo crawled onto the bed next to the shaking William, and calmly said "Diamond Tiara started picking fights."

"… Why?" she stared incredulously. Pinkie Pie seemed horrified, and kept looking between the three of them. Sweetie Belle guiltily looked away from her each time, her cheeks red as she stared at the floor.

"She's kinda sore about Silver Spoon," Scootaloo explained, and Pinkie Pie sadly shook her head. "She tried taking it out on Will. Now, she's _really _sore," she snickered.

"That-that isn't funny," Pinkie Pie started, only to be cut off by William.

"Is Mother coming back?" he wiped his eyes quickly, leaning slightly to peer out the open door. "She – I thought that she'd be back."

"Dashie is-" Pinkie began, but bit her lip. "Actually, she is taking a while. Don't worry _too _much," she patted William on the head, and he winced when she carefully inspected his black eye. Pinkie took a sharp intake of breath when he cringed, and added "Dashie probably won't be too much longer. I'm going to head over to the cafeteria and bring back some _ice_, 'kay?"

He only nodded along with the other two, and they sat in silence for a while as Pinkie Pie left. William couldn't help but notice the quiet latch of the door's outside lock as she left, though. It was apparent that she didn't look forward to any more unexpected fights.

"… Huh," Scootaloo rubbed the side of her head tenderly, and pointed at William's face. "Now we're twins!"

"What?" he blanched, and she pointed at her black eye as she grinned.

"See?" she showed it to Sweetie Belle. "_Battle scars!_ I can't wait to show Apple B-"

"Is it true?" Sweetie interrupted, turning to William slowly. "Did-did you really know what-what Silver Spoon tried, and then didn't tell anypony?"

William could have sworn that he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He felt as if he were going to be sick again, and from the look that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were giving him, William gladly would have traded a hundred more kicks and punches from Diamond Tiara rather than endure that look any longer.

"I-I didn't think…" William stuttered, wringing his hands quietly. "I-I didn't think that she would do it ag-again, I-I mean, I thought… I thought I fixed her…!" he gripped his fingers frantically, head whipping painfully back and forth. "I-I was so sure, I thought – I thought I _fixed _her-!"

He choked suddenly, unable to look at either of them any longer. William silently wished that Pinkie Pie would hurry back, so that he could hide beneath his sheets and never come back out.

Sweetie Belle regretfully looked away, and said "I didn't mean it like that. I don't think anypony could have known what – I mean, I know you wouldn't – well…"

Scootaloo only patted him wordlessly on the shoulder, her face downcast as she sat next to him with her back to the wall.

"… Hey," Scootaloo poked him in the shoulder after a long, agonizing stretch of silence. "Hey, Will."

"Yes, Scoots."

"Just look at it this way," she rubbed her cheek slowly. "Diamond Tiara finally got her flank whipped. Today was a good day."

Although he honestly didn't know why, William couldn't help but snort at that.

0-0-0-0-0

"Just off to the left, actually," the chocolate colored blonde stallion pointed his office out to Rainbow Dash, who trailed behind him.

"This one?" Dash pointed at the wooden door, and he nodded gleefully.

"Oh, after _you_!" Egg White peeled open the heavy wooden door with a blatantly false smile. Dash breathed heavily through her nose and tried to make herself comfortable in the bland chair before the opulent mahogany desk. "Just popping in for a quick little chat, quick little chat."

He locked the door behind them, seating himself easily in the large swiveling chair and relaxing painstakingly slowly as Rainbow Dash rapped her hooves against the side of the chair.

"And if you could get to it, please," Dash seethed. "I don't see why you couldn't have told me in the hall."

"_There _we go," Egg rolled his neck, glancing down at a couple of folders on his desk. Sunlight filtered in through the red curtains on the window behind him, the only source of light so far. "I know you understand, patient confidentiality and all that," he droned on. "Certainly wouldn't want anypony overhearing anything _important_, now, would we?"

"I don't care who knows what," one of Rainbow Dash's hooves jittered impatiently. "I don't have all day."

"Of course not, of course not," Egg White agreed deliberately slowly. He smiled pleasantly as he glanced back down with fake interest at the papers on his desk. "I'm sure this won't take up too much of your precious, precious time. Missus… Dash, was it?"

"Miss," she corrected him nervously as his grin widened. "And it's just Dash. Rainbow Dash."

"Ahh, _yes_!" Egg removed his white overcoat, draping it lazily over the back of his chair before turning back to her. "Yes, yes you are. Hard to forget a patient _quite _like you, after all. Miss Rainbow Dash, the _nymphomaniac_."

Dash narrowed her eyes suddenly, not realizing that she had stiffened up and stopped moving.

"Yes," Egg White inspected the bottom of his hoof leisurely. "I doubt that _you _remember, but I was the one that ran all the tests on that 'broken' wing of yours. Complete waste of time. Not a thing wrong with it, of course-" Dash wordlessly gripped her wingtips in her hooves, staring uncomfortably at the grinning doctor. "- but_ I_ remember. Oh, _yes I do."_

"What's this all about?" Rainbow Dash blurted angrily, furrowing her brows.

"… Do you like my new desk, Missus Rainbow Dash?" Egg asked suddenly, running his hands lovingly over the wooden piece of furniture. "Imported mahogany, very fine. Very expensive. Very fragile, surprisingly, compared to the average mahogany. Easily _scarred_."

Dash was halfway out of her chair when his next words hit her.

"_Foals _are easily scarred, you know."

Dash stared at him, and his impish grin grew.

"Did you know that a mare could spend nearly an _entire lifetime_ locked away for abusing a little colt?" Egg beamed at her with that same plastic smile, and he clasped his hooves together. "Please. _Sit_."

It sounded much more like a command than a request, but Rainbow Dash complied nonetheless. Her heart raced in her ears, and a lump seemed to be forming in her throat.

"I-I didn't – I _wouldn't_ hurt William!" she shakily sputtered out, her eyes stinging unexpectedly.

"Really?" Egg leaned in a bit. "Because that _colt _of yours seems to have quite a few… _incriminating _marks on him, if you know what I mean."

Rainbow Dash breathed heavily, her head in her hooves as her mind seemed to fog from the panic.

"Oh, but don't _worry_," he grinned at Dash, and she hardly dared to raise her head to meet his unblinking gaze. "I'm _sure _that we can avoid any kind of confrontation with any _legal _problems, really. We could always… _compromise_."

A sharp, sick feeling began slowly rising in Dash's stomach.

"You see," Egg White leaned back and toyed with a pen between his hooves. "You _see_, we both seem to have some issues that could easily be _resolved _by one another. You see, _Rainbow Dash,_ your every file indicates that your rather _severe _hypersexual disorder causes you _quite _a lot of social issues, and I'm a very lonely stallion."

Rainbow Dash almost whimpered when the comprehension struck her like a bag of bricks.

"… Please," Dash looked up sharply with blotchy eyes, finding it hard to speak all of a sudden. "Please, _please _don't, please, not again –"

"Oh, now, now, _now_," Egg White chuckled suddenly, his fabricated good-natured laugh almost stinging Dash's ears. "I _certainly _don't want you to think that I'm taking _advantage _of your condition to suit myself,_ no~o_." He stared directly into her magenta eyes, his smirk spreading even further. "No, that would be _terribly _dishonorable as a stallion of medicine."

A flicker of hope sprang up in Dash's chest, and she grabbed it almost immediately.

And it was almost as if this were the very moment he was waiting for, as his next words seemed perfectly designed to make that hope dwindle and die.

"So, I'll offer a _compromise_," Egg White stated genially. "I'm going to _help _satiate some of your _nymphomania _and keep the whole 'foal abuse' under the lid, just for you."

"… Fuck you," Rainbow Dash choked. "_Fuck _you, _fuck you._"

"Oh, I _do _love them eager!" Egg clapped his hooves together with another simpering smile. "But I'm afraid that during our little 'sessions' together, you're going to be calling me 'sir'. Hmm?"

"… Fuck you, _sir_."

"_There's_ a good girl."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 27 –_

Mother seems to be distressed that I am not allowed to leave the hospital yet.

I am beginning to wonder a great many things that were not apparent to me before.

I do not know if perhaps it is from spending extended periods of time in this dreadful hospital, but my mind seems to be unnervingly latched onto the concept of death and dying lately. Of course, this could also have something to do with the knowledge that I may potentially be the cause of Silver Spoon's death.

This has… occurred to me frequently. I do wonder if it may really be true, that it is because of my own actions – or, rather, inaction – that led to the girl's suicide.

If this is the case – and god help me if it might be – then who is to say that I am not the monster they claimed me to be after all? Is it really my fault that the girl is gone, that because of my own arrogance, my own foolish assurance that I had simply fixed the filly that she has abandoned the mortal coil?

I cannot help but doubt myself. It keeps me from sleeping yet again.

And the look that Diamond Tiara gave me… it frightens me, and hurts me. Even more than the bruises, which I also wonder if I deserve. No, I am frightened because I do not know if Diamond Tiara is going to follow the same path as her friend.

And then her blood, too, would taint my hands.

0-0-0-0-0


	18. Ch18: 28 Days Later

0-0-0-0-0

"Come on. _Talk _to me, Dashie."

Rainbow Dash simply lay next to Pinkie Pie, staring up blankly at the ceiling. Her face was devoid of expression, and she just quietly kept breathing at the same pace. She could tell that she wasn't asleep, though; her eyes seemed almost plastered open, and her stare didn't leave the ceiling.

"Please, Dashie?" Pinkie attempted to nuzzle her playfully. Rainbow Dash furrowed her brows slowly, turning away and trying to hide a pained look. "Come on, Dashie. I _know _something's wrong. You _always _wanna do it."

_Just remember; I'll know if your tongue slips, and mine just might, too._

Dash silently pulled the sheets up over her shoulders and turned to stare at the wall instead.

"Not tonight, Pinkie Pie."

_"Te~ell me~e," _Pinkie whispered in a singsong tone, even though with the house still empty she really had no need to whisper. "Come on, _please_? You know you can trust ol' Pinkie Pie, no matter what it is."

"… Just gonna get a shower," Rainbow Dash mumbled, slipping away from her grasp.

"Again?" Pinkie sat up, watching her. "I think you were pretty clean by the third one, Dash."

The pegasus didn't answer, only wordlessly closing the bedroom door behind her and leaving a rather forlorn Pinkie Pie sitting all alone.

She didn't know quite how long the water ran, but after a while it eventually grew uncomfortably cold. Not that Dash could really feel it, either way.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, letting the water rush over her head and drain down her. The sound of running water could almost drown out her thoughts. It could almost wash away the dirty feeling that seemed to cling to her like a barbed spider's web. It could almost make her forget the spell that Egg White had placed over her, ensuring that he would always know if she tried to tell anypony the truth.

She held herself a little tighter, as if she could wring out the bitterness as she sat there. Dash couldn't even bring herself to cry properly anymore; or maybe she could, but couldn't really tell with the water running over her face.

Rainbow Dash didn't know who she hated more right then; the wretched doctor, or herself for not telling Pinkie Pie when it was so obviously hurting her.

As it turned out, Dash really could tell when she began crying again.

She hardly even noticed a while afterwards when Pinkie Pie shut off the water. Dash was completely in a mental fog by the point Pinkie silently helped dry her off and get her to bed.

0-0-0-0-0

"What do you _mean_, another two whole weeks?"

William stared at the pair in confusion. The chocolate colored unicorn simply repeated himself, which did absolutely nothing to assuage Rainbow Dash's look of absolute horror. In fact, it probably only made it worse.

"Well, yes," Egg White stated matter of factly. "It's only for a short period of time; at least, until we can ensure that the bones have been properly reset."

"In other words, I'm still not allowed leave, completely in opposition to previous statements." William glowered at the doctor, who only shrugged. William shifted in the wheelchair, uncomfortable with the design. He wished that he could have been given crutches or something of the sort, so that he could at least walk; however, it was likely that his leg would only cause him troubles again.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be at a loss for words, but couldn't find it in herself to speak.

"It's really just routine," Dr. White rolled his eyes. He patted Rainbow Dash overly cheerfully on the shoulder before starting off. "I'm _sure _you understand."

Dash seemed to undergo a series of bizarre transformations as he walked away. Her face contorted at his back, through fury and loathing, around to an oddly fearful cringing bitterness until her left eye began twitching. Her nostrils flared furiously, and she continuously looked back and forth from William to the doctor as he walked away.

"… Mother, you appear to be suffering from a stroke. Should I fetch assistance?"

Rainbow Dash slowly shook her head, biting her lip.

"You-you stay here, William," she replied lowly, and her voice was nearly cracking. "I-I need Pinkie."

"I thought you said that she was at Sugarcube Corner this time of morning?" he asked curiously, but she only shook her head again before taking off at a quick pace. William was left sitting to stew in in own befuddlement for a moment.

He frowned hard, drumming his fingers over the rubber wheels and pulling himself into the hall. Rainbow Dash had hardly had any time at all for him, and such a short time after she had finally come back – William had been disappointed enough when she had quietly slipped away in the night, even after she promised that she would stay.

William was then brought to an ultimatum; Rainbow Dash was still in sight, and he could probably catch up to her, regardless of how quickly she was trotting…

But then again, William had quite a few questions for Dr. White – however, doing so would most definitely leave him incapable of catching up to Rainbow Dash in time before she left him alone again. Torn, William finally made his decision.

With a grim determination, William forcefully turned the wheelchair away from the pegasus and began slowly wheeling himself toward the doctor. He started off gradually, struggling to pick up speed as he wheeled over the linoleum. Spotting a flight of stairs at the end of the wing, William desperately called out for fear that he wouldn't catch up in time.

"Hey – _hey_!" William yelped, his arms already burning as he gained ground. Egg White seemed relatively surprised, slowly slightly to turn his head with a cocked eyebrow. The moment the doctor laid eyes on him, he let out a quiet grunt of agitation.

"Oh, you. Shouldn't you be back with your mommy?" he asked disdainfully, not bothering to slow down for the boy. William struggled to keep up, painfully nicking his fingers in the wheels in the process.

"Actually, sir," he frowned. "I would most certainly like to personally see the company's policy on extended stay."

"I would most certainly like to personally see you go back to your room," White replied impatiently through his teeth. "If you don't _mind_, I'm going to wind up late."

He trotted a little faster, and William angrily yanked at his white coat. The doctor jerked it away from him, whirling on the spot.

"If _you _don't mind, _sir_," William retorted as he matched his scowl. "Where exactly is the proof of medical benefits ascertaining to prolonged stay, aside from heightening the hospital bill?"

"None of your business," Egg White snapped, and William was dismayed to see that the flight of stairs had no way for him to descend to the first floor. Why couldn't have the doctor have gone in the opposite direction with the ramps?

"It is my business!" he demanded, yanking on the doctor's coat again, only to have his hand quickly slapped away. "For god's sake, man, _how _is this logical?"

"_Look_," White jammed a hoof in William's face, who suddenly felt much smaller as the outraged doctor glowered over him. "Look, you selfish little _brat_. I deal with runts like you day _in _and day _out_. I've seen more busted bones than you've seen _days_! I know what I'm talking about, so just _shut up _and go sit down before you break something _else_."

"Can't you see that she's upset?" William desperately threw his arm out back toward the direction that Rainbow Dash had left in, long gone by this point. "I'm not insisting for my sake, it's because you've obviously upset Mother, you_ doddering oaf!"_

Egg White huffed through his nose, and immediately said "Yeah, whatever. Your 'mommy' was already messed up in the head."

"No she isn't!" William shouted in his face, which only seemed to amuse the doctor. Every single word out of the pony's mouth only managed to infuriate William further – not insomuch that White nearly seemed deliberately antagonistic, but that he was so completely _sure _of himself when he told William off.

"Yeah, she is," he taunted him smugly. "I have everything about her on file, I am _best _informed on her mental state, and I know when I'm _looking _at a slut."

"You – _shut up!"_ William clapped his hands over his ears. "No she isn't, no she isn't!"

"Oh, _yeah_?" Egg White smirked upon seeing William almost pulling his ears off from the sheer distress. "I don't even _need _the files, I _know _she's a total _slut _because she was _begging _me to _nail _her."

"Liar!" William was struggling to pull himself from his chair to no avail. "Stop it, just _stop _it!"

"Oh, she was _begging_," he taunted him, getting in William's face and blatantly enjoying just how much his bragging was knocking down William's ego and finally putting him in his place. "She was _moaning_, she was _begging_, and I fucked your mom so hard that she _cried_."

William was finally at a loss for words as the doctor pulled his head away from him, the smug look etched onto his face as if it had been chiseled on. William was oblivious to this, however; the only thing burning in him was that the arrogant pony had made his mother cry.

He made her _cry_.

He made his mother _cry._

"Like a _bitch_."

And those three words were the nails in the coffin.

William was not a necessarily strong boy.

He was relatively small for someone his age. As such, William normally would have had enough difficulty as it was. On the other hand, Egg White was not expecting for the child to ram into him with the wheelchair as hard as he could, knocking him off balance.

Time seemed to slow down for the both of them in that one instant.

For William, it was a single moment of pure, blind, unadulterated rage in which physical reaction was the only outlet for his hatred.

For Egg White, it was only a moment of dull surprise in which he was pushed from his footing at the top of the stairs. William even watched him fall, White's eyes widening as he slipped.

Egg White didn't even have time to shout as he tumbled down the stairs.

William could do nothing but watch as Egg White flailed for something to hold onto in his panic for the only second that he had; in the next, he had already picked up too much momentum and crashed down the stairs, hitting a great number of them on the way down.

He simply sat dimly shocked at the top of the stairs down at the still and unmoving pony, who's limbs jutted out at odd angles.

William sometimes liked to pretend that he didn't really hear it when his neck snapped.

0-0-0-0-0

"Whoa – what's going on here?" Scootaloo asked as a team of medical ponies gradually pushed past her down the hall of the hospital, wheeling a sheet covered gurney.

"It's a _hospital_, doofus," Apple Bloom snickered.

"Beat me to the punch," Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

"There was an accident," one of the mares nodded to her. "One of our own orthodontists, if you believe it."

"Orthopedist, Candy," another of the ponies corrected her as they hurried away. The three of them heard the medical ponies talking as they wheeled the gurney away; and from the speed they were going, it didn't take them long to figure out the reason that they weren't in a rush.

"Bleh," Apple Bloom wrinkled her nose as they approached William's room. She could hear what sounded like Pinkie Pie as they drew closer, but couldn't make out what she was saying. "Think he was dead?"

"You get three guesses," Sweetie Belle grinned.

"Creeps me out," Apple Bloom muttered, staring after the other ponies even after they were gone.

"What does?" Scootaloo knocked eagerly on the wooden door, raising her eyebrow. "A dead pony? It's a _hostpital_, doofus."

"Har-de-har," the filly frowned and shivered. "I know that. But, still. _Dead_. Huh-buh-_buhbuhbuh."_

Scootaloo's knocking was swiftly interrupted when the door was yanked open. Much to her surprise, a very upset Pinkie Pie, partially coated in flour through her disheveled mane, stood blocking her vision.

"Hiya, Pinkie Pie!" Scootaloo chirruped, followed by her friends. "We –"

"Not right now," Pinkie Pie replied hoarsely. And with that, she closed the door in her face.

Scootaloo was thoroughly stunned by the reaction – although, not too stunned to miss the rather shaken looking William sitting with a deadened expression next to a heavily weeping Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo shrugged, looking back to Sweetie and Apple Bloom.

"… Well, that was weird."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky **

_Day 28 –_

I don't

Monster

Don't deserve

I can't really

Murderer

They were right

Monster

Monster

I protected Mother.

0-0-0-0-0


	19. Ch19: A Bag Of Mixed Ponies

0-0-0-0-0

William spent a long, long time simply sitting in his room and staring at the wall.

_Monster._

"Come on, Will. Let me in."

He remained seated on the bed, hands clasped limply in his lap as his eyes burned a hole in the wall.

"I know you can hear me," Rainbow Dash said softly, but loudly enough to make her voice heard through the door. "Come on, Squirt. _Please_."

William heard Pinkie Pie muttering, and a moment later the latch to the door sprang open and it slowly swung inward.

William didn't even blink.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. In a little bit, Pinks." Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, and William vaguely noticed the door snapping quietly shut and leaving him and the pegasus alone. It was silent for what felt like forever, and William could hear his own heartbeat in his ears.

Eventually, Rainbow Dash slid a hoof over his shoulder, pulling him into a little hug as she sat beside him on the bed.

"… It wasn't your fault, Squirt."

William said nothing, only staring blankly at the wall before him.

"I know it wasn't," she continued as if he were paying even the slightest bit of attention. "It wasn't your fault."

"I killed someone," William finally croaked, his voice dry and strained. He felt as if he were going to be sick again. "I – I'm a _murderer_."

"He-he had it coming," Dash bitterly hugged him again, and rubbed the back of his head tenderly, swirling her hoof absentmindedly. "You were just –"

"I didn't meant to-," he choked. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that he – I didn't mean to. Not-not when I did it. I didn't mean to. I understand if you want to disown me. I'm sorry."

Rainbow Dash fell silent for a moment, and William had to fight to keep his shoulders from heaving.

_"Pssst."_

Dash rubbed her eyes, flicking her attention to the door where Pinkie stuck her nose in.

"Dashie," Pinkie Pie whispered. "I know you really wanted to tackle this one on your own, but – tag team?" she held out a hoof expectantly.

Rainbow Dash breathed heavily through her nostrils, simply nodding Pinkie Pie in. The mare bounced excitedly, before immediately remembering the situation and sobering up within an instant. She sidled in beside William, seating herself so that he was between the two of them.

"So…" Pinkie Pie rolled her hooves together awkwardly. "At least it was claimed as an accident."

William only clasped his face in his hands, unable to look at either of them for the shame and horror.

"Not helping," Rainbow Dash hissed over William at her, and Pinkie cringed.

"S-sorry," Pinkie's mane began to droop again, and she laid a single hoof on William's arm. "I just want to help. I – well, I…"

She began stuttering suddenly, unable to form words properly for her own discomfort.

"… I think he needs to know," Pinkie Pie said quietly, all emotion leaving her face.

"Pinkie," Dash muttered dangerously. "I thought we agreed on this. Not in front of William."

"I know," she shook her head, mane flopping back and forth with her. "I know, Dashie. But I still think – oh, jeez. Now I've gone and lost my nerve." Pinkie Pie pulled away slowly, gripping her own forehooves.

"… I'm sorry, Pinkie," Dash cleared her throat again forcefully. "Maybe – maybe you're right."

Pinkie Pie took a deep, shuddering breath and said "Will, I killed you dad."

William fell off of the bed.

Rainbow Dash winced, struggling to help the speechless boy up.

"Suave, Pinkie," she huffed. "Great way to break it."

"I'm sorry," Pinkie hanged her head. All the color seemed to have drained from her face, leaving it a slightly pink and chalky pallor. "I don't wanna be blunt, but – well…"

"It's fine, Pinks," Dash shook her head quickly. "It's-"

"You _killed _him."

"My... biological father."

It was the first time William had even spoken of him in a long while, and Dash clamped her jaw shut immediately. She didn't look nearly as sick as Pinkie did, though.

"… Yeah," the mare nodded softly. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"Because… he hurt Mother."

"Yeah," Pinkie Pie flinched again. "I-I did."

William stared at her long and hard, and Pinkie only look forlornly back.

He didn't really have anything to say to something like that. After all, what was he supposed to say upon discovering that the mare living with them had murdered someone?

… Just like he had?

"It's not right," Pinkie Pie spoke nearly noiselessly, her throat raw. "It's not right, it isn't okay. But it doesn't change just how sorry I am, how-how long it's torn at me that-that I took the life of your dad. Will –"

"Discord is my father," he stated slowly, but assuredly. "He adopted me, just as Mother did. I don't know who you may have harmed, but it wasn't my father."

A slow, subtle change seemed to undergo inside Pinkie Pie in that moment. William watched as her face twitched and contorted over the span of a few seconds, like she was trying to fight back a flood. Eventually, Pinkie released a jittering, shaking sigh and closed her eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"… We are such a bucked up family."

Rainbow Dash snorted quietly, pulling them both close to herself with one wing.

"Yeah," Dash breathed at last. "Yeah, we're a big bag of mixed nuts. One little, crazy, bucked up family. But still family. And that-that's what counts, right?"

"… Even Pinkie Pie?" William asked, shifting his leg cast uncomfortably.

"Ooh, crap," Pinkie shrank back. "Right, I kind of… well, almost, uh… forgot about-about that."

"About what?" William stared at her uneasily, wary for any more news that could potentially alter his viewpoint of someone.

"WELL," Dash said loudly, shifting her wing around the two of them. She took a long time clearing her throat, her cheeks tinged. "Well, um… Will, you know how Pinkie has been staying-"

"That's what that noise was!" William's eyes widened promptly. Rainbow Dash flushed brighter and redder than a glowing tomato, and he glared angrily at her. "You told me it was mice!"

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any more awkward," Pinkie mumbled, her head in one hoof. "No, Pinkie Pie, it's fine. He's totally asleep. Thbbbt. Guess it's a little easier to comprehend now, in comparison to… you know."

"Oh, Celestia," the pegasus moaned, nearly collapsing in on herself. "Will – geez. Don't look at me like that, Squirt. Pinkie Pie and I are-"

"What about Discord?" he blanched, his gaze piercing her. "I thought that Father-"

Rainbow Dash only shook her head slowly, and William fell silent.

"He isn't coming back, William," Dash informed him gently. "I knew beforehoof. I mean, I hoped, but…" she left it hanging, and cast her looks to the floor.

Pinkie Pie squeezed her hoof gently, forcing a little smile.

For a moment, William considered telling her of the draconequus's appearance – however, he also took into consideration Discord's request to keep it secret.

"About-about F- Discord," William started slowly.

"Yeah?" Dash looked at him quickly, and William blinked.

"… Nothing," he shook his head. "Nothing at all."

0-0-0-0-0

A wheelchair was a useful device.

That being said, William still loathed it with a deep intensity. He was constantly accidentally nicking his fingers in the spokes, but he didn't care about it any longer. He only spent a long while sitting out by Ponyville's only lake. William watched the water rise and fall in little waves, the wind rippling peacefully across the surface. The sun was out, the birds were chirping happily, ponies were going about their lives and enjoying themselves. It was such an unfairly bright, cheery morning.

William hated that, too.

If anything, it was a formless, empty and purposeless hate; a growing sense of self-loathing that he threw out in every direction, only for it to be reeled back in with a bitter emptiness. It only led to him feeling utterly helpless and defenseless against the emotions roiling against his sense of logic, drawing him back into an endless circle.

Perhaps William would have noticed the draconequus sitting beside him, had he not been too busy twirling thoughtless circles on his cast with one finger.

William nearly leapt out of his skin when he finally realized that he was not alone, and he stared at the grinning Discord.

"Er… lovely… weather we're having?" William blurted, uncertain of what to say.

"Been a little busy since I've been gone, eh?" Discord gave the boy a toothy grin, reclining on the wooden park bench beside him. A whirling sprout of leafy greens grew threw his talons, winding around his claws. "Heard through the grapevine that you broke something."

William's face paled, and he looked away.

"I killed someone."

Discord's gaze didn't drop, and William suddenly became much more interested in the lake. When he finally gained the courage to cast a glance over, William spotted the vines in Discord's paw and noted that they had all been choked and strangled until they were charred and black.

"… Is that so."

"I was protecting Mother," William answered quietly, still unable to look him in the eyes. "She was sexually assaulted by a man of medicine. I took care of it. And I found out that Miss Pie murdered my biological father, and she is also 'Mother Two'." He finally looked up at Discord, clasping his hands together pleadingly. "It has been… hectic, to say the least."

"… Say, what was the name of that doctor?"

"Doctor Egg White?"

"Of _course _it was." Discord nodded thoughtfully.

"Why do you ask?" William peered at him.

"Oh, no reason," he lied, thoughts that would horrify any mortal to perceive them already twisting through his mind.

"… Please come back for good soon. Everyone has gone completely and utterly mad."

Still, Discord said nothing for the longest time. When he finally spoke, it was with a tired, weary voice.

"You know," he grinned weakly. "Normally, I'm all for a bit of chaos. But I can't come back to stay just yet, Willy-dilly-o."

"Why not?" William asked, looking heartbroken. Discord only shook his head.

"I've been… busy."

"With what?"

"Rebuilding."

"Aren't you supposed to be a god?" William barked at him angrily. "You're the embodiment of chaos, mayhem incarnate! You can do _anything_!"

Discord smiled sadly, and patted the boy on the head. He then flicked him hard on the nose, making him yelp.

"Right, 'kay. First of all, don't shout at your parents. It's rude," Discord scolded him halfheartedly. "Secondly, there are some things that I just _can't do_. Sure, when I flex my godly muscles-" he pumped his mismatched arms, and a flock of doves flew out of his armpits. "- I can make some pretty awesome things happen. But do you know just what happens when one god goes up against another?"

William gawked at him, his mind blurring.

"Like I said," Discord shook his head again sadly. "I've been busy. All you need to know is that it's not even (mostly) for my own good. I should be getting showered with praise, pay, and poontang right now."

"What's a poontang?"

"Something that you are to never, _ever _repeat in front of your mother," Discord's eyes flicked back and forth nervously.

"Which one?"

Discord started to speak, but slowly closed his jaws. He breathed heavily through his nose, and held his temples loosely with his fingertips.

"… Damn, I keep forgetting that you're a little smartass," Discord crossed his arms huffily, but did give a little grin. "I promise I won't be forever. I've just got to… take care of a few things first."

"And then you'll come home?" William asked hopefully, fiddling his fingers back and forth.

"Of course," Discord lied again. "Just as soon as I can."

"Then what about Mother?"

Discord huffed again, frowning at the lake. A few dozen fish slowly floated up and began flapping through the air, chasing away a couple of very shocked fishing ponies.

"Forever is a long, long time, kiddo," he explained slowly, scratching his chin. "You'll understand when you're older."

"Father," William grabbed him loosely by one shoulder, forcing the draconequus to look evenly at him. "Kindly do not speak to me in such a condescending tone. I refuse to be treated as a foa- as a child."

Discord seemed mildly amused by his words, and pulled him away.

"… You know, you're right," he agreed overenthusiastically. "Absolutely right, Billy."

"My name is William."

"You _are _old enough," Discord scoffed. "I mean, of _course _you are. Anybody old enough to wantonly _murder _someone shouldn't be treated like a _child_."

William didn't seem to have any kind of reply ready for that. He only looked away as the shame of his actions began to overtake him again, and Discord gained a strange look in his misshapen eyes.

"So," Discord tapped his talons together conspiratorially. "So, I think you're old enough for me to let you in on a little secret. C'mere."

William, growing more nervous and uneasy by the moment, leaned as far toward the beckoning draconequus as he could without falling out of his wheelchair. Discord looked around animatedly, and cupped one paw over William's ear and whispered.

_"The road to forgiveness is a rocky one. Wheelchairs aren't very good for that kind of terrain."_

William blinked, and started to ask him what he meant – however, the moment he turned to look at him, Discord was already long gone.

William was left feeling rather befuddled, miserable, and even lonelier than before. He stared out over the lake as fish fell through the air, splattering loudly against the water. After what felt like hours had gone by, William groggily dragged himself away. He gradually sighed, and started up to head home.

It was then that William realized that he was standing, and his cast was gone.

And he wasn't certain whether to sit back down, or laugh hysterically.

As such, William ended up doing both.

He could have sworn that he was only determined to go home, but something about Discord's parting words stuck with William. He looked back at the wheelchair one last time before giving it a hearty kick, watching it spiral down and tumble straight into the lake, where it promptly began to sink.

Of course, William did not go home.

Instead, he began running as fast as he could further down the rocky road, toward what was possibly one of the last places he ever would have expected himself to return to otherwise.

And although William didn't know it, Discord couldn't keep himself from shedding a few tears. Not just because he had failed in so many aspects that he was forced to sacrifice in order to salvage another.

No, Discord simply despised watching something that he was helpless to prevent, incapable of healing when he actually _wanted_ to. It tore at Discord in his deepest recesses, the realization itself only piercing him more painfully.

William may have still been young, but his innocence had died a long, long time ago.

0-0-0-0-0

"You've gotta be_ frickin' kidding_ me," Scootaloo stared at the boy in dull surprise, looking back and forth between his obviously unbroken leg and the miserable filly.

"I'm with Scoots on this one," Apple Bloom frowned. "Will, are you _bonkers_?"

Sweetie Belle only watched them all silently, hoof over her mouth in contemplation.

"Everybody deserves at least one chance to be forgiven… right?" William cast his arm toward Diamond Tiara, who only shuffled her hooves anxiously beside him as they stood before the entrance to the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse.

"Since when are you suddenly so geranium?"

"_Genial_," Sweetie corrected the pegasus quietly.

"You know what I meant," Scootaloo flared her wings angrily, turning and giving a hard glare to Diamond Tiara. "Will, this is nuts. Diamond Tiara's a-a big dumb _bully_."

"And," William nodded, making the awkward filly turn an abashed shade of pink. "And, she is also very sorry for her actions."

"I call _horse feathers_," Apple Bloom stood her ground. "She's a no good, dirty, stinkin', lyin', lousy piece of s-"

"I'm sorry."

For all of her disbelief, Apple Bloom certainly never expected to hear those words from Diamond Tiara's mouth. And from Scootaloo's open mouthed stare, she didn't either.

"I'm sorry," Diamond Tiara finally broke down, crying quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was so mean, I'm sorry that I h-hit you. I'm-I'm sorry. I don't…" she dwindled down, until she was barely mumbling miserably. William tried to subtly nudge her with his elbow, and she continued. "I don't have any other friends."

Scootaloo didn't drop her gaze for a long moment, but eventually turned back to the boy.

"… What's gotten _into _you lately?" she pried, and William began fiddling with his fingers uneasily. "I mean, I guess that I can – c'mon, Diamond Tiara, quit doing that. You're starting to make me feel bad," Scootaloo passed the silently crying filly a napkin that looked as if it had been lying on the floor, but she took it nonetheless. "I guess I can forgive Diamond Tiara. Even though I probably shouldn't, but I would. I just can't wrap my head around how come you're so quick to do it."

William cleared his throat uncomfortably, and quickly said "I'm just a very forgiving person, is all."

"Weren't you talking about clubbing her over the h-"

_"We should make her a Crusader!" _William spouted rapidly, flushing at her words.

"You're joking," Sweetie Belle snorted, but William remained adamant.

"Nuh-uh!" Scootaloo stamped her hoof, incapable of processing such a thought. "No way, no how! Diamond Tiara already _has _a Cutie Mark!"

"We stick together, no matter what."

The pegasus stared at the boy, and although there was a fierceness in his eyes, they failed to hold the same slightly 'off' look that they had before. He just looked… sad.

"Isn't that what you told me?" William stuck his hands in his pockets. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, stick together no matter what. To find out who we are, what we're supposed to be. The whole purpose of the CMC."

"… Yeah," Scootaloo nodded quietly, looking back and forth between him and the miserably sniffling filly. "You got it."

"And, obviously," William pushed on hopefully. "Obviously, Diamond Tiara is just… she's just a little lost. Sure, she's a hopelessly antagonistic, arrogant, pompous, violent-"

Diamond Tiara cringed and sank a little lower with William's ever word, who remained utterly oblivious to her suffering.

"- inane, self-centered, rude, spoiled little brat," he agreed. "But…"

He trailed off, holding his palm over his chin.

"… Sound kinda like you forgot where you were goin' with that," Apple Bloom snickered.

"But," William added cautiously. "But, Miss Tiara here has promised to alter her behavior for the sake of friends."

"We are _not _her friends," Scootaloo denied vehemently, shooting the filly a dirty look. "Anypony that would _hurt _somepony in a _hospital _is _no _friend of _mine_."

William looked as if he were on the verge of passing out.

"I'll vouch for her." William stated quietly.

Diamond Tiara gaped at the boy, both uncertain and wary. He held up the small cape bearing their symbol, pulling it slowly from his pocket. He twirled it gradually in his fingers, running his hand over it softly.

"… Please."

Scootaloo remained unblinkingly still for an unnervingly long stretch of time before slamming the clubhouse door shut in his face. William could hear the sound of hushed chattering going on for a few seconds, before the door was quickly jerked back open.

"Diamond Tiara, welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusaders," Sweetie Belle smiled.

"It's a bad idea, it's going to lead to lots of fights, and I hate your _guts_," Scootaloo interjected. Diamond Tiara only hanged her head.

"… _But_," Scootaloo continued, taking the cape from William's outstretched hands and tying it loosely around the stunned filly's neck. "But what kind of pony wouldn't give anypony a second chance? I _think _I can forgive her, in the future."

"_Actually_-" Apple Bloom started, but Sweetie violently shook her head, and she made a zipping motion over her lips.

"Right, then," William nodded enthusiastically, clapping the surprised Diamond Tiara on the back. "Here's to hoping this doesn't all spiral downwards into a fiery chasm of despair."

"Wonderful," Diamond Tiara moaned. "Now I'm lumped in with the group of ugly ones."

Scootaloo was silent for a full beat before slapping her upside the head with a loud clop.

"Okay. _Now _I can forgive her."

0-0-0-0-0

**Journal of William Zachariah Klaskovsky**

_Day 30 –_

Never before in my life have I so desperately and vainly prayed.

I have never been one to personally seek penance, but perhaps this was because I had no real reason to. It would appear that I was initially correct, or so it would seem. These creatures – no, these people have changed me, and in the strangest of ways.

I envy my past self for my simple transgressions. I would give anything to change the past; although for what I've done, or what I am bound to become I am not entirely certain.

One thing, however, is certain.

For every action, there is a consequence. For every crime, there must be a punishment. For every sin, there must be retribution. I fear this. I dread it, it terrifies and shakes me to my very core, but it is unchangeable.

All I can do now is accept my actions for what they are – sins, crimes of unspeakable nature. It sickens me, as if I still bore blood on my hands.

Blood that was tainted, to be sure; but this is no absolution, in no way acceptable for what I've done. He didn't even get a second chance.

I think that I understand Miss Pie a little better, now. I understand why she does what she does from time to time, why she is so desperate to wash her hooves; it is as metaphorical as it is a physical drive, a need to cleanse oneself of previous misgivings.

All I want is for the family that I finally have to be safe, and happy.

And if this means that I need a thousand, thousand buckets of suds to scrub the blood from my hands in order to do it, then I should best begin collecting water.

0-0-0-0-0

**Author's Note:**

Now, on to the sequel.


End file.
